Soup and Culture Snack Potluck

Girl Scout "Pigs in Potatoes" Snack

Here at Potluck Paradise headquarters we're not shy about borrowing--a cup of sugar, yesterday's newspaper, a really GREAT idea. So here is an idea we're sharing to celebrate our own National Potluck Month.

Back in January 2008, our friends Barbara and Chas made a resolution to do "one cultural thing each month." Unlike the resolutions we made in January 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011. and 2012--they have kept it!  Now more than sixty exhibits, performances, concerts, lectures, public programs, discussions, and discoveries of charming museums later, they are still going strong. Barbara has posted some of their activities and discoveries on her Facebook page leading us to share in some of those adventures and find new places ourselves. 

We got to thinking not only is this a great idea, it is a terrific platform for a potluck party!  

So, now is the time to adopt this resolution and encourage your friends to do the same. Then, once a month, or once a quarter, have a Soup and Cultural Snack Potluck. Host family provides the big pot of soup. Everyone else brings the finger foods to share. Those foods--conversation starters--should represent something about the cultural event or trip from their recent visits. 

There are plenty of things to do in big cities and even the smallest towns have adventures if you go looking. Our favorite small town of Clear Lake, Iowa (population 8,000), has the Firehouse Museum, the Pioneering Museum, and the Arts Center and public library each with a variety of programs. And that's just scratching the surface.

Here in the Twin Cities cultural opportunities seem to be around every corner. While thinking about a recipe to include in this post, I decided to feature one of my favorite small community resources and museums. As February 8, 1910 is the officially recognized birthday of Boy Scouting in America, the North Star Museum of Boy Scouting and Girl Scouting seemed a natural.  The museum is located just off Highway 36 in North St. Paul. They offer programs for the public and for scouting groups. Check their website for hours and opportunities. North Star Museum.

A while ago I did a program for the museum on old time scouting foods. Now I've adapted the Girl Scout hearty "pigs in potatoes" into a two-bite appetizer.  The flourless oatmeal cookies are easily made and a light end to a meal full of sharing. 

Girl Scout Pigs in Potatoes 

12 "B"-size red potatoes, pick ones that are about an inch diameter

1 package fully cooked "brown and serve" sausage links--one for each potato

1/2 cup finely grated Cheddar cheese--2 teaspoons for each potato

Scrub and gently boil the potatoes until tender. Cool and slice in half. With a small spoon scoop out a hollow bowl in the middle of the potato halves, reserving the scooped out potato bits. Cook the sausage according to package directions then dice. 

Combine the cooked potato, diced sausage and grated cheese. Gently press back into the potato shell. Warm under the broiler or in the microwave until the cheese melts. Serve hot or at room temperature. These can be prepared ahead and easily reheated. 

Flourless Oatmeal Cookies

2 eggs, beaten separately

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch salt

2 1/2 cups oatmeal

1 cup nuts or coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the egg whites until stiff and set aside. Combine the egg yolks and sugar and beat. Mix in the melted butter and vanilla. Stir in the baking powder, salt and oatmeal and nuts. Last, fold in the beaten egg whites. Drop onto greased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until light brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let baked cookies sit on sheet for a minute and then remove to cooling rack. Yield: 6 dozen cookies

Copyright 2013 Rae Katherine Eighmey. All rights reserved.

1968 Exhibit and Great (Cheap) Food

Here at Potluck Paradise headquarters the involving and hugely-popular 1968 Exhibit at the Minnesota History Center got us thinking about including a bit of time travel in our National Potluck Month celebrations.

In 1968 I had three cookbooks, two toddlers, and one graduate-student husband. We were living in Iowa City, happy in our apartment while the world twirled around us. I hadn't thought much about that year until I saw the 1968 Exhibit and looked at the on-line supporting materials. It was some year -- and what an excuse for a potluck!

Gather your friends, put on the hits of the year -- Jumping Jack Flash, Stormy, I Heard it Through the Grapevine, Hey Jude and have a blast from the past as part of your National Potluck Month celebration. You could even combine the potluck with a visit to the exhibit. But you'd better hurry! The 1968 Exhibit runs through February 20, 2012 before it travels to Atlanta, Chicago, and Oakland. Here's the link for more information: http://www.the1968exhibit.org/about-exhibit

As to food. . . my three cookbooks give a few hints as to what was trending. I had classic red checkerboard covered Betty Crocker for all the basics. Craig Claiborne's New York Times Cookbook for fancy fare. And for the growing interest in international cuisine, The Horizon Cookbook and Illustrated History of Eating and Drinking through the Ages with 600 recipes!

As to what we ate. . . well, we had our fair share of grown-in-the-garden meals. The apartment was actually the top floor of an old Victorian house that shared a huge fenced-in yard with another old classic house. Previous owners had put in two apple trees and a grape vine on the fence. Not only could we plant a vegetable garden, we had apples for eating, pies, and sauce -- free for the picking. And grapes for grape jelly.

The neighborhood grocery wasn't open on Sundays. The small store had a full-time butcher and all the meat was on display in the case, not packages. If I went in late on Saturday afternoon -- with the two kids in the stroller -- the meat man would take pity on me and sell me the chuck steak and soup bones he didn't want to carry over until Monday for ten cents a pound! Reduced from thirty cents.
This was back before there were crockpots, so I would cook the soup in my turkey roaster in the oven. That way I didn't have to fret about an open flame cooking for hours when I just might get caught up with kid stuff, or if I accidently nodded off for five minutes.

I could have chopped the meat up into the soup, but usually I pulled about half of it out to make into other meals. I could grind it up with pickles for sandwich spread, combine some of it with a box of frozen mixed vegetables and put it under mashed potatoes for "shepherd's pie," or toss a head of cabbage into the soup toward the end and then have "New England Boiled Dinner."

The soup itself was supper for three nights, rounded out with homemade cinnamon rolls.

It really was groovy eating, great to share with the neighbors downstairs, and a simple way into Potluck Paradise.


Cinnamon Rolls

Note: I've written this recipe with tips for someone who has never worked with yeast dough, so it looks more complicated than it really is.
1/2 cup warm water
1 package instant, quick rise yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
4 to 5 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the filling
1/2 cup butter, more or less
1/2 cup sugar, more or less
2 tablespoons cinnamon, more or less

Make the bread dough by first proofing the yeast. Put the warm water in a large mixing bowl and stir in the yeast and tablespoon of sugar. Let stand until the mixture becomes bubbly. This is how you will know the yeast will work to make the bread rise. While the yeast is proofing, put the milk in a small sauce pan and heat until it just comes to a simmer, with little bubbles showing around he edges. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and sugar. Let stand until lukewarm – less than 100 degrees F. If it is any warmer it will kill the yeast. Stir the milk mixture into the yeast. Add the egg and mix well. Begin adding the flour. Stir in 3 cups with a spoon or fork. Then add another 1 cup. At this point you can begin kneading the flour in with your hands, adding more flour if necessary. Knead until you have a smooth dough. Form into a ball and lightly butter the top. Set aside in a warm place to rise until it is double in bulk. This could take as little as one and as much as two hours.

To make the rolls:
Combine the cinnamon and sugar.
Punch down the dough and divide in half. Roll out to a rectangle about 10 by 14 inches. Spread with about 1/4 cup soft butter and sprinkle with about 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar. Roll the dough up tightly from the long side. Pinch the bottom edge firmly into the roll. Slice into 12 rolls, place cut side up in a lightly greased baking pan. Set aside again to rise until double. This will take far less than the first rise, maybe as little as 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and when the rolls are doubled, put in to bake until lightly browned on top. You will know they are done if they sound hollow when you tap them on top. Watch carefully, as the butter and sugar on the roll bottoms does have a tendency to burn.

Additional notes:

If you want rolls with more layers of butter, cinnamon, and sugar, roll the rectangle larger and thinner. You will need more butter and cinnamon sugar, of course, and the bread part of the roll will be thinner when finished, but they are very good that way, too.

This is a lovely bread dough for all kinds of rolls. You can leave out the cinnamon and form the dough into cloverleaf rolls by taking three small balls of dough for each roll and and place them in a muffin pan to bake. For other spiral-type rolls use brown sugar and pecans, or glaze with orange marmalade.

As to kneading in the flour, I’ve discovered it is a good idea to only knead with one hand while the dough is sticky. Then you have a clean hand to scoop out half measuring cups of flour. Once you have all the flour in and a smooth dough. Go at it with both hands. To clean excess sticky dough off your hands, rub them with flour. The dough will flake off nicely and then you can wash up.

On the Air with tpt and a Great Muffin for Later

"Lights! Camera!!! Quiet on the set!!!"
What a way to kick off our self-declared "National Potluck Month!"

There we were, away from laid-back Potluck Paradise headquarters and in the midst of "Hotdish Television Studio On-The-Go" as Twin Cities Public Television ( tpt to those of us who watch and love it) took over the fabulous ALL Appliance store in St Paul for a day-long taping session. The show features seven wonderful hotdishes -- Minnesota's quintessential Potluck food -- casseroles or "covered dishes" to the rest of the country. We prepared one, but you'll have to tune in to see what it is. We're sworn to secrecy. The photo shows all that's left of this wonderful and easy-to-make dish. The show will debut in early March along with the opportunity to get your hands on the first in the series of tpt cookbooks -- tpt Cooks - Hotdish.

Talk about drama, fun, and glamor! And some mystery ingredients!

We got to cook in a wonderful new demonstration kitchen . . saw a few appliances that would fit right in at Potluck Paradise headquarters. The tpt staff were as good a set of prep cooks as any one could want. And we even got our make-up put on with an airbrush -- la-de-DA!

As to the recipes, you'll have to watch the show, or become a Member of tpt and get a copy of the new cookbook to find out. . . We can give a hint or two. The dish we prepared has eight ingredients, can be put together in less than 7 minutes, and bakes in less than half a hour. Interested? And one more hint. . . one of the ingredients is the ever popular crushed potato chips.

We'll leave it at that, but here's a great recipe you can enjoy right now.


These tasty, healthy muffins are the perfect compliment to any hotdish. Low fat and low sugar, the trick of combining the cornmeal with the warm milk to swell the grains, makes a rich corn taste with a "non-gritchy" texture. You can use all dates or all dried cranberries, but here at Potluck Paradise headquarters, we like the mixture.

Cranberry Date Cornmeal Muffins

1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries and dates, mixed
about 1 cup hot water
1 1/4 cups milk, could be non-fat
2 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg. lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine the dried fruits and water in a microwave-save dish and microwave until fruits are softened -- about two minutes at half power work in my large microwave. Set aside to cool, then drain off the water. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer. Turn off the heat and add the brown sugar and butter, stirring until well combined. Then gradually stir in cornmeal. Mix until there aren't any lumps and set aside to cool to lukewarm. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Stir in the cornmeal mixture, the drained dates, and egg. Mix well. The batter will be fairly thick. Spoon in to lightly greased muffin tins and bake until firm and lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Yield: 12 3-inch "regular" muffins and 12 mini-muffins. Or 18 of the 3-inch size.

New Year's Luck in a Meatball

What could be better than combining traditional "lucky" foods with meatballs? Here at Potluck Paradise we think that's hard to top. So we tossed some meaningful foods and seasonings together for an easy-to-make meatball that's sure to please and maybe bring lots of luck, too.

We first ran into the idea of eating black-eyed peas for luck and prosperity in the South. As much as we like luck, we could never quite dig into a serving of black-eye peas with gusto. In past years, we mixed a few of them with salsa, dipped into the mixture with chips, and that was that.

The luck seemed to come, but we got to thinking this year, maybe we could do better. So we devised this recipe to incorporate lots of those lucky beans. We've seasoned the meatballs with cinnamon for love and beauty and tossed in orange zest for health. Of course the salsa is there to lend some spice to the coming months. And we roll it all up in greens -- lettuce being synonymous with money.

We've also decided ou don't have to eat them on New Year's Day for luck. Anytime in January will do. . . you just might have to eat a few more of them. But as they taste terrific, that shouldn't be a problem. Along with the recipe we send our very best wishes for good fortune and a Happy New Year!

These meatballs are good warm or room temperature. The recipe makes four dozen and they will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days and will freeze well.

Potluck Paradise Good Luck Meatballs

1 14- to 16-ounce can black-eyed peas
1 16-ounce jar salsa -- any kind you prefer
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 pounds ground beef 85% to 90% lean

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Drain the beans and rinse. Count out 48 beans and set aside. Put the remaining beans into a bowl and mash with a fork. Add the salsa and mash the two together into a fairly smooth mixture. Stir in the orange zest and juice, cinnamon and parsley. Put the beef into a large mixing bowl and break apart. Add the bean mixture and combine with your hands until well mixed, but don't over mix. LIne two baking sheets that have a rim with aluminum foil. Spray with non-stick baking spray. Form balls about the size of a golf ball. Hide a single bean in each meat ball and place balls on the baking sheet. Spray tops with non-stick spray and bake until they are firm, lightly browned and cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. This should take about 20 to 30 minutes depending on the size you make the meatballs.

Place one or two meatballs on a lettuce leaf and top with honey dijon or ranch dressing.

President's Day Potluck--Updated

We first wrote this post in 2011 and are updating it now in 2015.
For a short month, February sure packs Presidential Punch. Four United States Presidents were born in February and we have the President's Day holiday to celebrate them. We're all familiar with Abraham Lincoln on the 12th and George Washington on the 22nd. This year marked the 104th anniversary of Ronald Reagan on February 6th. William Henry Harrison's 242nd birthday followed just three days later.

Here at Potluck Paradise headquarters we think these birthdays and all the other presidents provide a perfect platform for potluck. The menu could practically write itself. From Reagan's favorite Mac and Cheese through Washington's storied Cherry Pie there's a lot of good eating to be dished up from American History.

I have two favorite presidential recipe collections. In my Food Will Win the War blog (http://bit.ly/1AbNIcM), there are recipes from World War I. Eleven years before he was elected president, Herbert Hoover served voluntarily as the United States food commissioner during those days when we shipped vast quantities of wheat and meat, fats and sugar to our allies in Europe.

I've also written a book, Abraham Lincoln in the Kitchen, with 55 recipes from his life and times. You'll find two of my favorite Lincoln recipes on other posts in this blog. The handy click-through index on the side will take you to his Gingerbread Men and a delightful appetizer or cracker called an A-Pee.

But back to the Presidential Potluck. There are several collections of "presidential favorite recipes" I've looked through a couple and drawn together a short list to get your potluck started. Dishes with * have recipes in this post or at other places within this Potluck Paradise blog. For the others, you can easily use your own favorite recipes for these suggestive dishes:

Entree
Ronald Reagan's Macaroni and Cheese
Dwight Eisenhower's Beef Stew -- beef, potatoes, carrots, small "boiling" onions simmered in beef stock and tomatoes seasoned with thyme, bay leaves, and garlic
James Buchanan's Pennsylvania Baked Sauerkraut -- 1 pound thinly sliced pork tenderloin browned quickly on both sides in a bit of butter in a large, oven-proof skillet; sprinkle with 1/4 cup brown sugar; 1 pound package sauerkraut placed on top of the pork. Cover and bake in 325 oven until kraut is cooked, about 15 minutes. Watch as you may have to add a bit of water if the kraut is too dry.

Vegetables
FDR Salads and Veggies -- served at meals for King George IV and his wife Queen Elizabeth in June 1939
Lettuce with Roquefort Dressing, Asparagus with Saratoga Chips (thinly sliced potatoes, fried quickly), Mushrooms and Wine Sauce; Sliced Tomatoes, Buttered Beets, Cranberry Sauce

Herbert Hoover Red Cabbage* Find at Blog Archive February 4, 2015

Beverages
*Woodrow Wilson Prohibition Drinks

Dessert
* Herbert Hoover WWI Cake
*Lincoln Gingerbread Men

The Recipes

Prohibition Sour "A Drink for Men"
By the Drink 
1 ounce lemon syrup (See recipe below)
1/2 ounce orange syrup
freshly squeezed juice of one lime
crushed ice
carbonated water, 6 ounces approximately

Put the syrups and lime juice into a 12-ounce glass and add a scoop of crushed ice. Fill with carbonated water, stir and serve garnished with a slice of lime

By the pitcher -- enough concentrate for 12 8-ounce servings
1 1/2 cups lemon syrup
3/4 cup orange syrup
juice from 6 limes
carbonated water and ice
Mix syrups and lime juice.
Pour into a large pitcher and add 60 ounces (about 2 liters) carbonated water.

Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup white granulated sugar

Put the water into a medium pot, Gradually add the sugar, stirring constantly. Warm the mixture over low heat, stirring gently until the sugar dissolves. Do not even bring it to a simmer. Just heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Keep simple syrup in the refrigerator for several days.

To make flavored syrups
1/4 cup simple syrup
1 tablespoon frozen concentrated juice mix, thawed

Mix together and use immediately or store in the refrigerator for two or three days

Prohibition lasted through five presidencies -- Wilson, harding, Coolidge, Hoover, and FDR. My book Soda Shop Salvation has more than one hundred tasty recipes for soda shop and non-alcoholic treats. You can find a sampling at the blog Soda Shop Salvation (http://bit.ly/16StU0j)


Easy Herbert Hoover World War I Cake
This recipe saves fat, sugar, and eggs and is a delicious way to taste history one dessert plate at a time.

2 cups brown sugar
2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons lard (or butter)
1 teaspoon salt, optional
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 package (8 ounces) raisins, chopped
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put everything but soda and flour into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Boil 5 minutes after it bubbles, then cool. Stir in soda and flour. Put batter into a lightly greased loaf pan. Bake 45 minutes. Cake keeps fresh a long time and can “be sent to men at the front.”

Lincoln Gingerbread Men -- click Blog Archive 2015 February heading to find this and another Lincoln recipe.

Copyright 2015 Rae Katherine Eighmey.  All rights reserved

Red Dress, Red Dinner

Hearts collide in February here at Potluck Paradise headquarters, No, we're not talking about lover's spats, we're celebrating the double-duty heart benefits of Valentine's Day celebrations and the American Heart Month promoting heart health especially among women. Well, what could be better to celebrate our Potluck Paradise National Potluck Month than a Red Dress -- Red Dinner. Although we're more likely to wear a red sweater and jeans.

Enough healthy red foods come to mind to easily fill a potluck table. Whole-wheat pasta tossed with tomatoes and red peppers, or in a red marinara sauce. Salmon is kind of red and then there is red snapper. We could even include some red meat -- a nice piece of lean steak -- smaller than a deck of cards, mind you -- with all the fat trimmed. Of course there are bushels of red vegetables! Tomatoes and red potatoes are too easy. What about red radishes in a non-fat dip, delicious red beets either simply roasted or slivered into a saucepan in the recipe below. Red cabbage is one our favorites. This recipe has all the flavor and hardly any fat. Just two tablespoons of butter for a whole head.



WWI Victory Red Cabbage
4 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/16 teaspoon nutmeg
1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Soak the cabbage briefly in cold water. Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onion and seasonings and cook until the onion is transparent, stirring frequently. Drain the cabbage and add to the frying pan carefully as the water clinging to the shreds will tend to spatter. Cover and cook over low heat until the cabbage is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Remove lid, add the vinegar and sugar, stir well and cook for 5 more minutes.

This is a quick and delicious way to prepare beets. It is a little messy to peel and then slice the raw beets. But the flavor is well worth it. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of slices and how young, or old, the beets are.
Luscious Steamed Red Beets
3 to 4 red beets
4 large lettuce leaves
grated peel from one orange
Peel the beets and slice very thinly on a vegetable slicer -- about 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch. Take a heavy bottomed 2-to 3-quart saucepan with a lid. Put about a half inch of water in the pan. Put in two lettuce leaves and then put in the beet slices, sprinkling them with orange rind as you fill the pot. Put remaining two lettuce leaves on top. Cook over low heat until the beets are tender, about 15 minutes. Watch carefully so that the water does not completely evaporate! You can eat or discard the lettuce.

And now for dessert!

We're skipping the red velvet cake or chocolate dipped strawberries and suggesting red pears with raspberry sorbet and maybe just a drizzle of dark chocolate. Use the pears just as they are, or poach in a light syrup. You could even use canned pears if you are in a rush. If you do use raw pears, toss them with a bit of lemon juice after you cut them so they don't turn brown as quickly.

Love Boat Salad for your Valentine

Love is in air and hearts arae filling the grocery stores. So we're taking a break from celebrating our own National Potluck Month here at Potluck Paradise headquarters. Not that we don't love potlucks, but we're pushing romance this week leading up to Valentine's Day. Look at the post below for our homemade and mostly healthful Valentine's chocolates. In this post we have a dish that could be the centerpiece of a potluck, but is lovely on a shared plate for two.

One quick comment before the recipe. We've made a few changes to typical seafood salads to cut the fat and reduce the sodium. That's why we've used poultry seasoning to add a bit of complexity to the dressing instead of a more traditional "seafood seasoning." Check out the labels. No sodium in poultry seasoning while "celery salt" is the first listed ingredient in the other product.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad
2 tablespoons non-fat cream cheese
2 tablespoons non-fat mayonnaise
1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/8 teaspoon cumin, or more to taste
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 cup small salad shrimp
1/3 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 teaspoon minced dill gherkin pickle, low sodium version
1 Haas avocado

Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise and seasonings in a small mixing bowl. Reserve a couple of shrimp for garnish and chop the rest into three or four pieces. Add the remaining ingredients and carefully mix until shrimp and vegetables are coated with the dressing mixture. Cut the avocado in half. Remove pit. With a small spoon, scoop out about half of the avocado flesh, chop and mix with shrimp. Make it a little easier to eat by scoring the remaining avocado in a chris-cross pattern Mound shrimp mixture into avocado shell, garnish, and serve with beet and sweet potato chips. Refrigerate any leftover filling and eat within two days.

Healthy Chocolates for your Valentine

Sure the fancy heart-shaped boxes are nice, but why buy chocolates for your Valentine when you can make these delicious treats filled with healthful dried fruits and nuts. Here at Potluck Paradise headquarters, we're always ready to test chocolate recipes. These easy to make candies are at the top of our list. They taste like the richest bon-bons and no one will ever know the secret filling unless you spill the beans. The recipe dates from World War I when sugar was restricted to two tablespoons a day. Natural ingredients made these Honey Fruit Chocolates popular holiday gifts for Christmas 1917.

Make some for your special someone and watch him. . . or her. . . smile! The filling keeps frozen for weeks, ready to make a few more whenever you want a delicious little bite.

Honey Fruit Chocolates
1 12-ounce package raisins
1 8-ounce package whole, pitted dates
2/3 cup figs, diced
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
grated rind of half an orange
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
1/8 teaspoon salt
chocolate for dipping,
such as melted dark or semi-sweet chips
Run the fruit and nuts through an old-fashioned grinder, or pulse in
a food processor, until ground into a rough paste. Stir in rind, juice,
honey, and salt. Chill mixture until firm. Form into balls, about 3/4
inch in diameter. Melt chocolate chips and dip balls to enrobe
filling. Cool on waxed paper or foil. The filling can be frozen and
made into chocolates in batches. Makes about 6 dozen.

Just Desserts for the Big Game Potluck

As the Big Game heads into the dramatic fourth quarter, we here at Potluck Paradise headquarters have a couple of tasty desserts, sturdy enough to stand up to any last minute excitement and delicious enough to sooth any low-score jitters.

Our Green Bay Guiltless Cheesecake is non-fat, and no-bake. Easy to have the fixings on hand for cheesecake when you don't want to wait. The Steelers' Pound Cake combines chocolate and orange batters for a wonderful marbled flavor combination. The cake keeps well for several days and as it does not have butter or shortening, is lower in fat than most pound cake recipes.

Here's our homage to the Steelers' Defensive Line -- a POUND cake in classic Black and Gold.

Steelers Chocolate and Orange Pound Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 6-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3/4 cup cooking oil, such as Wesson
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ginger

2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, and baking powder. Mix thoroughly. Measure the orange juice concentrate and add water, if needed, to make 3/4 cup. Stir the juice, oil, and eggs into flour mixture. Mix until combined and then beat at low speed with an electric mixer for three minutes. Put half the batter into another bowl. Stir ginger into the first mixture. Put melted chocolate and cinnamon into the second mixture. Spray 8- by 4-inch loaf pans with non-stick spray and divide the orange batter between them. Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate batter into the orange mixture and swirl with a knife to “marble” the batters. Bake until a skewer comes out clean – for pyrex loaf pans 45 to 55 minutes. For Other Baking Pans: Metal or dark pans may bake faster. You could make this in an angle food cake tube pan. Baking time would be longer. To assure ease of removing baked cake from loaf pans, line them with heavy-duty aluminum foil or parchment paper and spray that with the non-stick spray. I would not recommend baking this in a Bundt pan.

Green Bay Packers fought their way into the Super Bowl. They have nothing to be ashamed of, nor should anyone who eats this no-bake, non-fat delicious treat.

Guilt-less, No-Bake Lemon (or Orange) Cheesecake

Make the Lemonade or Orange filling.
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup corn starch
1 12-ounce can frozen concentrated lemonade (or orange juice), thawed
grated rind of 2 large lemons
3 8-ounce packages non-fat cream cheese (24 ounces total)

Mix the sugar and corn starch in a 1 to 2 quart saucepan. Gradually stir in the lemonade concentrate. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns clear and is very, very thick. Stir in the lemon rind and set aside to cool. Plop cooled lemonade mixture into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Beat until smooth with electric mixer. Add cream cheese and beat until blended.
To make cheesecakes: Spoon mixture onto crust (recipe below) and place in refrigerator to firm. Ready to eat in about 1 hour. Keeps covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Before serving garnish with whipped cream or sweetened sour cream (2 teaspoons sugar mixed with 1/4 cup light sour cream for each 6 cheesecakes)

Crust
Melt in a microwave for about 30 seconds, repeat for 5 second intervals if needed:
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Stir until chocolate is melted and blended with the butter.
Add: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

Line a muffin pan with paper cupcake liners. Stir with fork until well blended and then put 2 tablespoons of mixture in the paper muffin cups and press firmly with a flat-bottom glass or the back of a spoon. Set aside.

Recipe makes 18 muffin-sized cheesecakes (1/3 cup size).

The thickened filling mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or longer, Measure out 1/3 cup to mix with one 8-ounce container of cream cheese to make 6 cheesecakes at a time. Refrigerated crust mixture keeps for weeks, too. Warm slightly before pressing into cupcake papers.

Steelers' Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sunday afternoon the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Green Bay Packers. For Steeler fans, these easy-to-make-ahead meatballs with chipped spinach and golden raisins are a metaphor for the dominance of their team over the Green and Gold. For the rest of us here at Potluck Paradise headquarters, they are just a great meatball that keeps in the fridge for a few days and freezes nicely for a month or more in the sauce. Baking the meatballs in the oven eliminates the need to fry them on top of the stove. A method we love here at PP headquarters for efficiency and neatness!

Steelers’ Sweet and Sour Meatballs

For the Meatballs:
1 9-ounce package frozen GREEN spinach, thawed
1/2 cup GOLDEN raisins
1/2 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup orange juice
2 whole eggs, or 3 egg whites
2 1/4 pounds 90% lean ground beef

For the Sauce:
1 14-16 ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 1/2 cups white wine or apple juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 cup cold water

To Serve:
1 jar cooked red cabbage
Leaves of Romaine lettuce

Preheat oven to 400 degreed F. Thaw the spinach and wring out until very dry. Put spinach and raisins in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Or chop with a knife. Put the breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl and stir in the seasonings. Stir in the orange juice and let stand a couple of minutes until the juice is completely absorbed. Stir in the spinach raisin mixture and the eggs. Then add the ground beef. Line a large baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray. Form beef mixture into balls, about the size of a large walnut. Place on sheet and spray tops of meatballs with cooking spray before putting into the oven. Bake until internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 160 degrees F. and the tops are browned.

While meatballs are baking, make the sauce. Put cranberry sauce, wine or juice, brown sugar and vinegar into a large pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until cranberry sauce is melted. While this is cooking, combine the cold water and corn starch into a smooth mixture. Gradually stir it into the sauce. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens and turns transparent.

When meatballs are fully cooked, gently place them in the sauce and stir to cover them. Allow to cool and then refrigerate before serving.

To serve. Heat the red cabbage and meatballs. Wash the Romaine lettuce leaves and dry. Place a dollop of cabbage on leaf and then one or two meatballs. Fold up leaf to eat and enjoy!

Copyright 2011 Rae Katherien Eighmey All rights reserved

Green Bay Sacked Potatoes

Cheer on the Green Bay Packers in the Big Game with these easy to make stuffed potatoes. Good hot, warm or room temperature, this healthful and filling dish couldn't be easier to make. Tomorrow's dish as our National Potluck Month continues -- Steelers' Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Green Bay Sacked Potatoes

Ingredients::
"B" size red potatoes
Fully cooked "brown and serve" sausages -- one for each whole potato
Cheddar cheese, finely grated -- 2 teaspoons for each whole potato

Method:
Scrub and then gently boil the potatoes until tender. Cool and slice in half. With a small spoon, scoop out a hollow bowl in the middle of the potato, reserving the scooped out potato bits. Cook the sausage according to package directions then dice.

Combine the cooked potato, diced sausage and grated cheese. Put back into the potato shell. Warm under the broiler or in the microwave until the cheese melts. Serve hot or at room temperature. You can make these ahead and store in the refrigerator until game time!

Potluck with the Champions

Super Bowl contenders Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers fought their way through teams with some tasty cuisine to get to the Big Game. One Potluck Paradise theme for a Super Sunday buffet features classic dishes from those cities.

The Pittsburgh side could feature Baltimore crab cakes and New York Reuben sandwiches or soft pretzels with mustard. On the Green Bay side of the table how about Chicago-style hot dogs -- beef dogs served on steamed poppy seed buns with yellow mustard, green relish, chopped onion, a couple of tomato slices, pickle spears and a dash of celery salt. There is only one way to pay homage to the Philadelphia Eagles -- a hearty cheesesteak!

Here at Potluck Paradise headquarters we've had a hard time choosing a dish to celebrate Atlanta's team, there are so many possibilities among great urban Southern dishes. Then we came up with Peachy Atlanta Falcon . . errr Chicken .. and Peach-Pecan Chutney.

Easy to make, good served hot or at room temperature, this dish will bring folks around to the Green Bay side even if they are rooting for Pittsburgh. The only hard part is allowing time for the chicken to marinate in the yogurt for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator. But it is a treat that is well worth the wait.

Peachy Atlanta Chicken with Peach-Pecan Chutney Sauce

2 pounds skinless chicken pieces -- You can use tenders, breasts either whole or cut into pieces, or thighs With or without bones.
1 8-ounce container peach yogurt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon powdered garlic

For the Sauce
1 14- to 16-ounce can peach halves or slices packed in juice
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup peach juice drained from the can
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup finely diced green pepper
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 cup chopped pecans

The day before you are going to cook the chicken -- wash the chicken pieces, pat them dry and place them in a gallon-size zippered plastic bag. Mix the seasonings into the yogurt. With a spoon, spread the yogurt on the chicken, trying to cover all sides. Shut bag and gently smush to spread yogurt over chicken even more. Refrigerator for at least 8 hours, turning and smushing the bag a couple of times. When ready to cook: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking pan with heavy-duty foil and place the chicken on it in a single layer. Bake until cooked through and lightly golden on top. Thickly cut tenders take about 20 minutes. Full breasts on the bone will take much longer.

To make the Sauce:
Drain the juice from the peaches and set the fruit aside. Combine all ingredients except the pecans in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and then cook for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Watch that the sauce does not scorch. After 10 minutes, remove it from the heat. While the sauce is cooking, finely dice the peaches and add them to the cooked sauce. The heat remaining is enough to cook the peaches into the sauce. When ready to serve alongside the chicken, sprinkle with pecans.

Super Deviled Eggs

Take Deviled Eggs to any potluck or Game Day party and just stand back. It's magic! They practically disappea before your eyes.

Our Potluck Paradise version updates the classic recipe with a bit of hidden, heart-healthy, finely grated carrot. The result: sunny yellow filling with half the cholesterol of a traditional version. All the flavor and a bit of added texture for interest. Best make extra for the family, because we guarantee you won't have any leftover to tote home.

Super Deviled Eggs
Quantity for 4 eggs ( 8 halves) Can easily be doubled or tripled.
4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and sliced in half
1 large carrot
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon mustard (more or less to taste)
1/8 teaspoon dill weed
a couple grinds fresh black pepper

Peel and grate the carrot on the finest side of a box grater. The strands should look like thread. Put the carrot into a double layer of paper toweling. Wring out to remove excess moisture. You will have about 1/3 cup of dry carrot strands. Remove the yolks from the egg whites and DISCARD half of them. Put the remaining yolks in a shallow bowl and mash with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, and seasonings. Stir in the carrot strands and spoon into the egg whites. Cover lightly and keep refrigerated until serving.

Potluck Paradise Method for Cooking Eggs to Hard Boil.
Always use the oldest eggs in your refrigerator. If I know I'm going to want to make hard-boiled eggs, I will often buy the eggs a couple of weeks in advance. As eggs age in the refrigerator, the air pocket extends and expands between the white and the shell. The larger this air layer is, the easier they are to peel after cooking.

Fill a saucepan with warm water. Put the eggs in so that they are in a single layer and covered with the water. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Once the water is at a full boil. Turn off the heat, cover pot and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes, Longer time for larger eggs. Drain off water. Fill pot with cold water, gently crack the eggs all around the shell and put into the cold water for a couple of minutes. The pull an egg out and start removing the shell at the bigger end. If the shell is still sticking, hold the egg under a slow stream of water from the faucet and let the running water get between the shell membrane and the white.

Starting Now, February is National Potluck Month!

Here at Potluck Paradise headquarters, we've decided to declare February "National Potluck Month."

If ever a month defined potluck, February is it. Days are quiet. Company is gone. Holidays are over, spring is coming, but not soon enough. The weather is capricious. Up here in Minnesota fresh snow is much less delightful now than it was the first week of December -- and, from what we've seen on the new. the same is true for 48 other states.

February is a time to make the most of what you have. To share good times with friends, family, and co-workers. To find your own bit of Paradise in a fun-filled Potluck, if only for an hour or two.

We'll be celebrating four potlucks this month. Watch for posts with recipes and ideas. But here's a hint of the themes: We'll start with thoughts on The Big Game played on February 7 -- the super Sunday. The middle of the month is Valentine's Day and we'll party while keeping our hearts healthy. Lincoln and Washington's Birthdays give a chance to look at some traditional recipes and finally, we'll round out the month with a Resolution Celebration.

Potluck Pizza
You can make this easy, delicious pizza almost faster than the delivery can arrive. It makes a great platform for using up the last bits of meats and vegetables, too.

DOUGH:
1 package dry yeast
2 tablespoons lukewarm water
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons shortening
1½ teaspoons salt
3 cups all purpose flour (or bread flour for a chewier crust)

Sprinkle yeast on top of the 2 tablespoons warm water; let stand until dissolved and it starts to foam. Pour 1 cup boiling water over shortening and salt in a large bowl. Cool to lukewarm and stir in yeast. Add half of the flour and beat until smooth. Add the remaining flour and knead into a smooth dough. Divide dough in half for two11-inch thin-crust pizzas, or just form into one 13-inch thick-crust pizza. Flatten dough into round(s) and place on greased cookie sheets. Make edges thicker to keep toppings from escaping during baking. Let rise in warm place as you prepare toppings.

TOMATO TOPPING:
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup Parmesan cheese
¾ pound sliced mozzarella cheese
2 cups ripe tomatoes, diced, or 1 (14- to 16-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 minced clove garlic
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Brush dough with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, then arrange half the mozzarella on top. Combine tomatoes with garlic, salt and pepper; sprinkle on top followed by remaining cheese. Sprinkle with dried herbs and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Bake until crust is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Note: Other ingredients can added to taste. Tomato sauce can be put on as the first layer.

Life to the Party -- 10 Tips for Successful Potlucks

Among all the kinds of holiday entertaining, Potlucks are our favorites. They can vary in style from fancy where the best family silver and cloth napkins grace sit-down dining to a casual neighborhood get-together as a way to share the wealth of too many leftovers.

Swapping extra lefse for spare latka, both with related traditional toppings, would be a delicious cultural exchange. Yum! makes me wonder what an all-potato potluck could be made of . . . okay THAT will be a topic for another post, you bet 'cha.

For these weeks of holiday hoopla, we're listing some of our favorite tips for successful potlucks along with wishes for a happy holiday season with lots of leftover joy for the New Year. There are also several proven Potluck Paradise favorites at Rae's Kitchen website. Click on link at upper right of this page to go directly.

1. Balance is good, Health is even better. The host or organizer should not be afraid to ask for volunteers to bring specific kinds of dishes, or even assign them. Ask people to bring recipes or have notecards at the ready so ingredients can be listed and put next to the dish. That way people who must avoid nuts, gluten, chocolate, or other common foods can be informed and know what is safe for them to enjoy.

2. Not everyone has to cook. Someone could bring the beverages, bread, or even the disposable plates, utensils, and napkins.

3. Proper temperature is key. Have room in refrigerator or coolers ready to keep things chilled. Have oven ready to reheat and don’t keep foods out at room temperature for more than an hour.

4. Easy table organization. Have spots figured out for main course, sides, and desserts so it is easy for guests to know where to put their contributions when they walk in the door with casserole or desert tray in hand.

5. Serve yourself. Host should have plenty of serving dishes, hot pads, and serving utensils on hand for those who forgot to bring their own. Have powerstrips at the ready to plug in crockpots.

6. RSVP puzzles? These busy days when traffic is hectic, weather can be uncertain and, dare we say, illness an uninvited complication; it is a good idea to assure the meat of the meal will be there. Have either the host or or a totally reliable guest responsible for the main course.

7. Don’t skimp on plates. Sturdy plates prevent spills. Splurge on more expensive, but spill-resistant thick paper or plastic plates. Consider straw paper plate holders or, for a green potluck, use china.

8. Spice of life. Host or organizer should be sure there are condiments – salt, pepper, butter, catsup, etc.

9. Turning up the heat. If a dish will need reheating make sure a moderate oven temperature will do the job. With most dishes happily heating at 350^o F., a dish needing 425 ^o F. would be an imposition. Have a meat thermometer at the ready to test internal temperature of any food to be served hot.

10. Loving Potluck leftovers. Have supply of plastic ware—maybe those old yogurt or margarine tubs “saved” in your cupboard. Guests can split up any leftovers and continue the potluck fun for their next meal at home.

And finally. . .

Cleanliness is next to . . . Clearly mark garbage bags and recycling bins so guests know where to toss what.

Happy Holidays from the pages of Potluck Paradise and the bottom of our hearts!