On Friday, I pause and remember a single, wordless moment from the past week – inspired by The Warden’s Log.
Tag: grandparents day
Grandparents’ Day and a New Dessert
Yesterday, on Grandparents’ Day, my two youngest grandchildren showed up at my front door, bearing handmade gifts as usual …. six-year-old Dolphin ….
…and ten-year-old Jellyfish (currently in training as a “Ghostbuster”).
Jellyfish had taken my picture last week and printed out a frame and mounted it plus he made a great bookmark.
Dolphin had promised me a hundred times on Saturday that she would make my favorite Scottie, which she did, along with a colored picture of a grandma and granddaughter baking. She even made her own wrapping paper and a paper bow.
Their mother has always had a mug made up with a picture on it for Grandparents’ Day. This year, number 11 will join the others on my special shelf.
I fixed a roast beef dinner for the family and for dessert tried out one I had seen on All Recipes, Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball. I called it a “girly” dessert but my son-in-law and grandson managed to enjoy some of it, maybe not as much as my two daughters and I did.
CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESE BALLS
- 8 oz. package of cream cheese (not low-fat or Neufchatel), softened
- 1/2 cup butter (butter only, no substitutes), softened
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tblsp. light brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup toffee bits
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
In a medium bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and softened butter until smooth. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day, shape the chilled cream cheese mixture into three balls. Wrap each ball in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Before serving, roll one ball in toffee bits, one in pecans and keep one with just the chocolate chips.
I served these dessert cheese balls with honey pretzels, thin cinnamon wafers and Golden Delicious apple slices.
The comments on All Recipes indicated some people had problems getting the mixture to form a ball. Other people suggested storing the beaten cheese mixture in a metal bowl and refrigerating overnight. They also stressed using only full-fat butter and cream cheese. I followed these suggestions and had no problems forming the balls.
It was a fun dessert and a nice ending to our Grandparents’ Day dinner.
Grandparents’ Day….and Hollandaise Sauce
My two youngest grandchildren, known here as Jellyfish (age 9) and Dolphin (age 5) have always been encouraged by their mother to remember me on Grandparents’ Day. Yesterday I received a mug with their pictures to join 9 others in my collection.
As soon as they were able to draw, write or color, they have also given me something they made themselves. This year, Jellyfish spent many hours printing and coloring detailed information sheets about dinosaurs.
Dolphin also drew a dinosaur and made a special card.
Both of them made up a booklet, “My Grandmother”, with lines to fill in with information on where I live, what I like and what we like to do together. The page about my real name turned out fine with Jellyfish’s “Lillian” but a little odd with Dolphin’s “Owl”.
I like to have Sunday dinner at home, so as usual I fixed dinner for everybody. Along with roast beef, mashed potatoes,carrots and homemade yeast rolls, I steamed some asparaus and served it with this delicious Mock Hollandaise Sauce which is much friendlier fat and cholesterol-wise.
MOCK HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
- One 3 oz. package low-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
- 1/4 cup egg substitute
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- dash salt
- 1/4 cup melted low-fat margarine
Blend together by hand or in a food processor. To warm, heat in microwave oven for about 30-45 seconds.
Yield: One cup of sauce
I have a note in my recipe binder: “From Southern Sideboards cookbook. Made for Mother’s Day 1994 to serve with our homegrown asparagus. Very rich and smooth – easy to heat up.”
LILLIAN'S CUPBOARD 