Recipe

Garden Party

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party

Spring makes me want to get out and have a party!  Here is a party idea that’s sure to please!

You’ll need:  Evite

Menu   Shrimp Salad

Music

  • Garden Party by Ricky Nelson
  • Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations
  • The Rose by Better Midler
  • Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison
  • Chantilly Lace by The Big Bopper
  • Safe in My World by the Mamas and the Papas
  • Top of the World by The Carpenters

Activities

• Plant Swap—Celebrate your garden by asking guests to bring a flower arrangement or potted plant to swap with another guest. Guests can either fight over the foliage or pick names out of a hat to see who gets what.

• Flower Arranging—Ask guests to bring blooms and vases, and invite a floral expert or a friend with very green thumbs to show you different ways of putting them together.

Checklist for the party

Helen Georgia · Places

Helen, GA

Suzanne Strength2 Comments

My family

My family and I decided to take a much needed long weekend trip to Helen, Georgia over the Easter holiday.  We had the best time in this beautiful little town!  My only issue was we needed one more day to enjoy everything Helen has to offer!

We stayed at a lovely resort called Mountain Lakes and stayed in their Alpine Chalet.  It was a fun place with tons to do on site, all included in the price!  For starters, our chalet had a dining room, private deck with chairs and benches, living room (with sleeper sofa and a fireplace!), kitchen (fully equipped), bathroom, master bedroom and an open loft upstairs for the children.  To get to the loft there was a spiral staircase.

The resort had enough to do for us to never leave the grounds!  It has an indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room, hot tub, every board game you can imagine, ping pong, tennis, shuffle board, mini-golf, boating, fishing, horseback riding, swimming in the lake and at 2 outdoor pools, and activities planned every day!  We opted for the Easter egg hunt, the Bingo and the Pancake Breakfast after the Sunrise service on Easter Sunday.

When we first ventured into Helen, we stopped at the coolest rock shop.  The kids each got a rock and we headed on in to Helen proper.   We walked the main shops, and then settled on a place called the Troll for dinner, so called because of its proximity to the bridge that goes over the river it is right beside.  While the food left much to be desired, the riverside seating more than made up for it.

The next day we set an exhausting pace.  We went back into Helen and enjoyed a covered carriage ride pulled by Wilbur the horse!  We shopped at Charlemagne’s Toys to let the kids spend some vacation money that was blowing a hole in their pockets.  We decided to get back to nature after our retail therapy of the morning and hike to the Dukes Creek Falls and have a picnic lunch.  We stopped at Hofer’s of Helen, a German bakery, to pick up some desserts:  a blueberry muffin, German chocolate cake, German Chocolate Cakeapple fritter and a Sacher torte.  Yum!  Our next stop was to one of the best food shops, Betty’s Country Store, that I’ve been in in awhile and bought sandwiches that were to die for!  We happily headed down the 1.1 mile hike down to the falls and then enjoyed our hearty lunch.

Afterwards we cruised up to Brasstown Bald, one of the highest peaks in the south.  It made me sick to my stomach, all of those hairpin curves, but it was a beautiful sight, once we reached the top.  Afterwards, we went back to the resort to enjoy some on site activities, mainly a little putt putt!

After a suprisingly fun game of Bingo with the whole family, we headed into Helen to our “splurge” restaurant:  Hofbrau HouseThe Hofbrau House.  Oh My.  It was the best food I’ve had in a looooong time!  We had Jaegar Schnitzel and knockwurst with all of the trimmings.  If you are in Helen, you do not need to miss it.

We had the best time, and I’d recommend Helen to anyone!

Recipe

Fiesta!

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sombrero

No one really entertains at home anymore and that is sad. For starters, eating out has become so common, that it isn’t even special anymore. Because of our busy schedules, time is at a premium. More often than not, your friends would be more impressed if you took the time to cook them a homemade dinner than if you simply picked up the check for their meal at a restaurant. Imagine if you turned it into a themed dinner party?My friends and I have started a supper club. Each couple takes a month and provides a themed dinner party for the other couples. The option is there to cater, but most of us cook. We have had all kinds of themes, but one of the most popular is always the Mexican Fiesta themed ones. And why not? Nothing says party better than “Margarita! “

Menu

You can certainly play with this a bit, but I like to think of these recipes as great for a moderate cook. You know enough so that the ingredient list won’t be daunting, but there is no real expertise needed. Just enjoy!

Appetizers and Cocktails:
Baked Cheese Fiesta Dip
Salsa and tortilla chips
Guacamole
MargaritasEntree:
Applebee’s Tequila Lime Chicken with Yellow rice
Chopped Mexican Medley Salad
Pico de Gallo and Salsa
Tyler’s Mexican Cornbread

Dessert:
Flan

The Recipes

Baked Cheese Fiesta Dip Recipe

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
8-10 ounces grated cheese (I use 4 cheese Mexican style)
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (or to taste)

Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Stir in all other ingredients and mix well. Spray a 10 inch pie plate or quiche dish with cooking spray. Bake about 30 minutes at 350 degrees until edges are lightly browned.

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Applebee’s Tequila Lime Chicken

4 chicken breast fillets
1 C. shredded cheddar/Monterrey jack cheese blend
2 C. crumbled corn chips or fried tortilla strips

Marinade:
1 C. water
1/3 C. teriyaki sauce
2 T. lime juice
2 t. minced garlic
1 t. mesquite liquid smoke
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. tequila

Mexi-Ranch dressing:
1/4 C. mayonnaise
1/4 C. sour cream
1 T. milk
2 t. minced tomato
1 1/2 t. white vinegar
1 t. minced canned jalapeno slices
1 t. minced onion
1/4 t. dried parsley
1/4 t. Tabasco sauce
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. paprika
1/8 t. dried dill weed
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1/8 t. cumin
1/8 t. chili powder
1 Dash garlic powder
1 Dash ground black pepper

1. Prepare marinade by combining marinade ingredients in medium bowl. Add chicken to bowl, cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Make the Mexi-Ranch dressing by combining all ingredients in medium bowl. Mix well until smooth, then cover dressing and chill it until needed. When ready to prepare entree, preheat oven to high broil. Also preheat grill to high heat. When grill is hot, cook marinated chicken breasts for 3 to 5 minutes per side.

3. Arrange cooked chicken in baking pan. Spread a layer of Mexi-Ranch dressing over each piece of chicken, followed by ¼ cup cheese. Broil chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Spread a bed of 1/2 cup of tortilla strips on four plates. Slide chicken breast onto strips and serve with rice, pico de gallo or salsa.

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Chopped Mexican Medley Salad

This tangy, crunchy salad is “to die for.” Serves eight.

1 1/2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
1 1/2 pounds jicama (a crunch, tasty root vegetable), peeled and finely diced
6 seedless Oranges, peeled and chopped into squares
2 red onions, finely diced
1 medium bunch cilantro, stems removed & finely diced
1 large bell pepper, finely diced

Dressing

1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. Orange marmalade
1/4 cup salsa verde
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Make this salad and dressing up to four hours before the party. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Chill in refrigerator. Right before serving, add salad dressing, toss lightly and serve.

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Tyler’s Mexican Cornbread

1 1/2 cups self-rising cornmeal
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 lg. Onion, diced
2 eggs
1 can cream corn
2 jalapenos, chopped fine

Combine all and mix in large bowl. Spoon into muffin tins. Make sure to grease the tins first. Bake at 425° for around 20 minutes (check time). Yield: 18

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Easy Flan

1 cup and 1/2 cup sugar
6 large eggs
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 13 oz cans evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. You will need 6 ramekins or other specialty flan cook ware and a large baking pan to put them in. Pour 1 cup sugar in warm pan over medium heat. Constantly stir sugar until is browns and becomes caramel.

Quickly pour approximately 2-3 tablespoons of caramel in each ramekin, tilting it to swirl the caramel around the sides. Reheat caramel if it starts to harden. In a mixer or with a whisk, blend the eggs together. Mix in the milks then slowly mix in the 1/2 cup of sugar, then the vanilla. Blend smooth after each ingredient is added.

Pour custard into caramel lined ramekins. Place ramekins in a large glass or ceramic baking dish and fill with about 1-2 inches of hot water. Bake for 45 minutes in the water bath and check with a knife just to the side of the center. If knife comes out clean, it’s ready.

Remove and let cool. Let each ramekin cool in refrigerator for 1 hour. Invert each ramekin onto a small plate, the caramel sauce will flow over the custard.

Recipe

Strawberry Pastries with Lemon Cream

Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

dessert

The crummy picture is to let you know I REALLY made this!  I needed a fancy looking, but easy-to-prepare dessert last weekend, and this one really fit the bill!  It really isn’t all that fattening, either, if you don’t eat the pastry part!!

Strawberry Pastries with Lemon Cream

4 frozen puff pastry shells
2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
3 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon lemons, zest of
4 teaspoons lemon juice
4 cups strawberries, hulled and halved,sprinkled with
1 tablespoon sugar
  1. Bake puff pastry shells according to package directions.
  2. Blend next 4 ingredients in a mixing bowl.
  3. Just before serving, spoon strawberries into baked puff pastry shells.
  4. Top with lemon/yogurt mix.

Oh, and the real estate market in Charlotte is doing great!

Lincolnton · Places

Lincolnton’s Rail Trail

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Now that spring is just around the corner, and we’ve been seeing some warmer temps, people are out walking for exercise and fun again!  We have the perfect trail in Lincoln County called the Marcia Cloninger Rail Trail.  It is perfect for walkers, joggers, strollers and cyclists!  The trail is lit and landscaped and it runs from Pine Street to Motz Avenue and is about a mile in length.  There is the hope that one day it will be expanded to the Ramsour’s Mill battle site.

Charlotte · Restaurants

Luce

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luce

The hubby and I went to dinner at Luce for Valentine’s, and we were a bit disappointed.  I can see where this restaurant might be a great place to go back on a night that isn’t so hectic for them, though timing wasn’t the problem.  We were just so underwhelmed with the food!

The best part of the meal was the free bread they brought us to begin!  It was crusty on the outside, soft in the middle and served with a white bean soaked in olive oil and vinegar topping that was out of this world!  I could have eaten that with a spoon!  For starters, Dustin had a salad of tomato slices and buffalo mozzarella stacked up and drizzled with a balsamic olive oil reduction.  It was merely ok.  The tomatoes were not in season, or flavorful, so I’m surprised that item made it on their very limited Valentine’s Day menu.

I had a bowl of lobster bisque for my starter and it was delicious, if a bit watery.  The flavor was nice, but not special.  Our main meal is where the disaster occurred.  Dustin got seared scallops over mushroom risotto, and while it was fine, he got 3 scallops on a bed of creamy rice.  And these weren’t big scallops!  That was roughly $10 a scallop.  They were cooked perfectly, but not worth $10 a scallop.

I had 2 entrees (and didn’t eat either one).  My first was a pan seared Chilean Sea Bass on a bed of lentils.  The fish was gelatinous, and the lentils looked unappetizing, but were actually quite flavorful.  The waitress noticed I wasn’t eating my entree and insisted on bringing me salmon.  The salmon itself was nicely cooked, but just plain and underwhelming.  It sat atop a mixture of what I can only describe as warmed up and thickened Pace Picante Sauce.  I couldn’t eat it either, as I was waiting on the second entree for a while and I simply lost my appetite.

The service was spotty, as well.  They serve drinks in small glasses and were not on hand for refills of water or drinks, so we sat dry for a bit.  The dining room was a bit bland and our table was in a corner next to a drink station (water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink).  I just did not have a good experience at Luce.  If you decide to give them a try and have a different experience I’d love an email!

Lincolnton · Restaurants

Viva La Mexico!

Suzanne Strength1 Comment

margarita

Mexican food is my family’s all time favorite.  We actually have a very good Mexican restaurant in Lincolnton that serves up freshly made food (no preservatives!) and makes a killer margarita.  Taco and Tequila is run by Lucy Dorantes who comes from Mexico City and has made a name for herself in Lincolnton by serving up great food and a great price and treating her customers like family.

I’ve never had anything that wasn’t good at Taco and Tequila, but my all time favorite dish is probably the chicken chimichanga.  It’s heart-cloggingly delicious with chicken wrapped in a flour tortilla, deep-fried and then smothered in cheese sauce.  The tacos are pretty great here, too.  If you are no good at making up your mind, come on Sunday when they have a lunch buffet and sample a little of everything!

Recipe

Christmas Chili

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photo 100_0106.jpg

Every Christmas Eve my family gets together to open gifts and enjoy each other’s company.  We all make simple dishes, like appetizers, pickups and this chili.  Then we let the children help us pass out presents and we take turns, youngest to oldest, opening gifts (one at a time).  The kids can hardly wait for their turns to come around each time!

Afterwards we clean up the paper and empty boxes, then leave a little something for Santa and his reindeer.

I rarely remember the gifts I open from one Christmas to the next, but I will never forget the wonderful blessing that it is to have my family nearby for the holidays.  I hope you are that fortunate as well.  Merry Christmas!

Christmas Chili

  • 1 ½ lbs ground round
  • 2 medium white onions , diced
  • 2 large bell peppers , diced
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder , divided
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder , divided
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 3 (14 ½ ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
  • 3 (14 ½ ounce) cans chili beans
  • 1 (8 ounce) can beer
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • grated cheddar cheese
  • chopped onion

1 Place beef, onions and bell peppers in large Dutch oven.

2 Sprinkle with 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, and basil.

3 Using a wooden spoon, blend together and brown very slowly.

4 You may drain if desired, but mine didn’t have a lot of grease, so I didn’t bother.

5 Place tomatoes in food processor and process just long enough to cup up large pieces.

6 Put tomatoes, beans and beer in with meat and bring to a low simmer.

7 Add remaining chili and garlic powder.

8 Add pepper.

9 Cook slowly for at least 2 hours.

10 Serve with cheese and onion.

Hickory · Places

Catawba Science Center

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kids mad  Even Realtors have to take a day off.  My kids were steaming mad at me because I’ve been going going going every single day for a while.  I turned the phone on low today and took them to the Catawba Science Center to get some brownie points and a little education.

nurse_shark.jpg

Catawba Science Center is located in Hickory, NC on the Salt Block.  We’ve been several times before but this time the exhibit is about deep space and also sea creatures!  We saw a program about Black Holes in the planetarium that was like an IMAX lite experience.  My 11 year old loved it!!  More geared toward my 4 year old, we also went over to touch nurse sharks, sting rays, starfish, horseshoe crabs,  sea anemone and the like.  We even saw Nemo and Dory!  They had a blast.  If you’ve never been up there, but have young kids, you must go.  You can sneak in a little learning and they won’t even know it!

Recipe

Fishing…in Lake Norman?

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Gus Gustafson

While scanning the web, I came across the neatest site called Fishin.com

Apparently, people actually fish in Lake Norman.  I know, it comes as a surprise to me too, believe me.

Gus Gustafson says “The lake level is lower than normal. Three major ramps, (Ramsey, Blythe, and the State Park), are closed. However, the two most popular ramps, (Pinnacle and McCrary) at the Highway 150 Bridge, are open and will more than likely be useable during the holidays.”

He also goes on to say that the Thanksgiving holidays is an excellent time to introduce children to the pleasures of fishing.  What a great idea!  I’m going to go one step further and say eat that fish you catch for Thanksgiving dinner instead of Turkey!

Here’s a recipe Gus even provides on his page if you are adventurous enough to try this out on Turkey **ahem* * Thanksgiving Day.

Kelly’s Low Country Catfish Stew

1/8th tsp. cayenne pepper
1 ½ pounds catfish filets, cut in 1 inch pieces
3 to 5 slices chopped bacon
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
1 28-ounce can tomatoes.
1 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. thyme

Wash catfish filets and cut in 1 inch pieces. Set aside. Fry bacon in a large heavy pan for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook until tender. (Do not add the Cayenne Pepper until you add the fish. If it cooks the entire time, it may be too spicy and hot.)  Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the fish and cayenne pepper and cook for another 20 minutes. Add water if needed. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve hot with crackers or cornbread.

Check out Gus at LakeNormanStriperFishing.com