Happy Earth Day Everyone! How much do you know about our planet and Earth Day? Take my fun Earth Day Quiz at Daily Dish Magazine . Then, go outside, enjoy nature and appreciate this wonderful planet we call home.
Image by Denis Collette...!!! via Flickr
Handmade meringue? Yes, it is possible to hand whip egg whites into a light, fluffy meringue. When OXO sent me these egg tools for free to try, I was thinking, “What would put this hand beater to the ultimate test?”
Of course I tried omelettes. Good, but I could do better.
I made aioli with avocado.
Better, but still I needed something more challenging.
I’m all about people powered tools. I do hand crank my own ice cream and we have a push lawn mower, no gas or electric assist. So why not give meringue a try?
First, I needed clean, yolk free egg whites. This is where OXO’s Egg Separator came in handy.
Okay, I had my whites, grabbed the sugar and cream of tartar. What was I forgetting? Oh yeah, this would be a TWO PERSON job!
Meringue requires the slow addition of the sugar into the egg whites. Let’s see, one hand to hold the beater, one to crank it and one to pour the sugar. Luckily for me, I have a wonderful granddaughter who loves to cook and willing to lend an extra hand or two!
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment (one for caps, one for stems).
In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.
Beat in cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
Beat in sugar, a little at a time until you have stiff peaks. This will take several minutes.
Fill a pastry bag with half the meringue to make the caps. Use a large round or star tip. Pipe caps leaving about an inch space in between. You can smooth out the tops if you like by running a wet finger over top. It doesn’t need to be perfect, real mushrooms are bumpy and lumpy!
Use the remaining half to pipe the stems. These didn’t turn out perfect either. That’s okay too!
Bake your meringue in a slow oven for about an hour. The finished candy should be totally dry and not browned.
Melt your chocolate in a double boiler. Let it slightly cool so it will be easier to work with when coating meringue.
Cut stems flat if possible. Dip caps in chocolate and attach to stems. Use as little chocolate as possible so it doesn’t run for you.
Let dry, and then dust with cocoa or cinnamon. You can also dips the pieces in chocolate and sprinkle with assorted candy toppings.
Find out more about these EGGciting EGGtools at the OXO website!
This week our Sunday Supper group is celebrating April Showers as in the baby, bridal and more. I’ve been to and hosted a few shower parties in my day where the gifts are thoughtful, the friends abundant and the games are corny. The one thing everyone agrees on is you need food to keep the party rolling.
Thanks to Brandie from Home Cooking Memories for hosting this fun event! Brandie’s website strives to cook up new recipes while preserving the old ones.
For this event I chose to throw a baby shower. One thing on everyone’s mind at a baby shower is what will they name the new baby. People chose a name in a variety of ways. Some people rely on baby name books. Family member’s names are popular. I think soup. Alphabet Soup in particular.
Keep in mind that whatever you choose to serve at the baby shower, new Mommy will eat too. Keep it wholesome and healthy.
If you can’t find alphabet noodles, any small noodle will work.
Ingredients
Directions
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain.
While noodles cook, mix together turkey, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire and oregano. Loosely roll into mini balls and saute in oil until thoroughly cooked. Add 1/4 cup of the broth pan to loosen pan drippings. Remove meatballs, set aside.
Saute carrots and celery in pan drippings until crisp tender.
In a large pot, add tomatoes and rest of broth. Add vegetables and finish cooking until softened. add meatballs and noodles. Cook until thoroughly heated and serve.
Starters, Appetizers & Snacks
Soups, Salads & Sandwiches
Main Dishes
Cakes
Cookies, Brownies & Dessert Bars
Sweet Treats
Drink Recipes
One of the best parts of #SundaySupper is our weekly Twitter chat. If you love food, you definitely want to join us! Just follow the hashtag #SundaySupper on Twitter this Sunday, April 21st at 7pm EST, and we’ll be chatting about food and fun for baby showers, bridal showers, and parties!
Want even more #SundaySupper? Follow our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for recipes that are sure to impress!
My Surprise Recipe Swap partner this month is Melissa from http//Persnicketyplates.com .
Melissa claims to be Persnickety, which defines as:
If she is persnickety, I want to be too. Melissa takes everyday ingredients and makes tasty dishes on her blog. Melissa has a soft spot for kitties, that gets my vote!
Here’s my pick off her blog for the swap. Easy, tasty and fun to make. Thanks Melissa!
Find Melissa’s version of her recipe HERE .
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Cook noodles according to package directions. Lay cooked noodles on waxed paper or non-stick work surface
Mix cooked chicken (I cook mine in broth) with seasoning, add cheeses and enough of the broth to moisten
Spread chicken mixture onto noodles and roll up.
Place enough of the sauce in a 9×13 dish to coat the bottom
Lay rollups seam side down into the dish. Cover with sauce, sprinkle with cheese and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Delicious!
Would you like to be a part of Surprise Recipe Swap?
Follow this link:
Hi and welcome to Cindy's Recipes and Writings! Relax and stay a while.
