Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Blueberry Strawberry Trifle

Greetings from a Mouse House pal! I too enjoy playing in the kitchen and entertaining my friends. I’m always on the lookout for recipes which I can make ahead of time. I like to be with my friends and not holed up in the kitchen..

Here’s a nice dessert that can be made the day before. Its red, white and blue theme makes it perfect for Memorial Day or Fourth of July gatherings.

Submitted by Mara Lynch
Marblehead

BLUEBERRY STRAWBERRY TRIFLE
Yield 8-10 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 3 oz. package vanilla instant pudding
2 cups whipped cream
1 pound cake cut into 1 inch cubes (I use Sara Lee)
1 pint strawberries-sliced
1 pint blueberries

METHOD
Beat together condensed milk, water, lemon rind and pudding until well blended. Refrigerate until thick (about 15 minutes)
Fold in whipped cream
In a large bowl layer 1/3 of the cake, 1/3 strawberries, 1/3 blueberries. Repeat for two more layers
Pour pudding on top and refrigerate. Garnish with a few strawberries and Enjoy!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Davidge Eggs

This is Bill’s breakfast specialty. When we first met, he would serve me Davidge eggs with fresh squeezed orange juice and coffee. Yum.

This is often our Sunday morning breakfast. Or brunch, if we have a slow start to our morning.

Sunday usually begins with coffee and newspapers in bed: Bill has the New York Times, I have Sunday’s Boston Globe and also any editions of the Globe or the Salem Evening News that I didn’t get to during the week. Not sure why I feel that I have to read the newspapers in order or, why I can’t just recycle the old ones without reading… guess I’m afraid I might miss something. Spending two hours daily in the car traveling to and from work, I hear the news and commentary – WBZ in the morning (for the traffic reports) and WBUR/NPR at night – I know what is going on in my community and the world.

Last week I heard a program on NPR about hoarders. The guest quoted research that suggested people who saved newspapers and magazines were afraid they might miss something - an opportunity or important information – so they keep things, just in case. That resonated with me: I save clippings (not whole issues) of things that interest me. When I go back and look at them, they often go right into the recycling bin: I’ve missed the event or I make a note in my reference notebook, knowing I can retrieve the information on the Internet.

My take-away from the NPR program? A resolve to read the paper each day and on Sunday evening, toss any unread papers from the previous week into the recycling bin, ready to put on the curb Monday morning. So, once I finish this post, it’s back to my basket of papers: Everything except today’s paper goes in the bin. I’ve heard it takes two weeks to establish a new habit…wish me luck.

1 ½ eggs per person
½ eggshell full of milk per person, or half and half (cream) for a creamer texture
Freshly ground black pepper
Cheddar cheese, diced
Butter
English muffin, 1 per person

Heat butter in frying pan over medium heat.
Mix eggs, milk, and pepper in bowl.
Add egg mixture to hot pan; reduce heat to medium-low.
Add diced cheese to eggs once they begin to set.
Scramble with spoon, not fork (Bill Davidge ‘secret’).
Cook to taste.

Serve with English muffins, on side or as a sandwich.