February 26 to March 4th National Food Holidays

Can you believe that February is almost over! Soon it will be Spring. Here's hoping that March comes in like a lamb....

This week's National Food Holidays are:
February 26th: National Peanut Brittle Day

February 27th: National Strawberry Day

February 28th: National Chocolate Souffle Day

No Leap Day this year! But if there was, it would be National Surf & Turf Day

March 1st: National Peanut Butter Lover's Day

March 2nd: National Banana Cream Pie Day -- Wouldn't Elvis have love the combination of these two days?

March 3rd: National Mulled Wine Day

March 4th: National Pound Cake Day

February 26th: National Peanut Brittle Day

It seems that the National Food Calendar made a mistake. It lists January 26th as National Pistachio Day. However, today is really National Pistachio Day and January 26th is really National Peanut Brittle Day. So we're going to remedy this mistake by celebrating National Peanut Brittle Day. Here's a simple recipe:

Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 pound shelled unroasted peanuts
Directions
1. Heat oven to 200ºF. Butter 2 cookie sheets, 15 1/2x12 inches, and keep warm in oven. Mix baking soda, 1 teaspoon water and the vanilla; reserve.

2. Mix sugar, 1 cup water and the corn syrup in 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to 240ºF on candy thermometer or until small amount of syrup dropped into very cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from water.
3. Stir in butter and peanuts. Cook, stirring constantly, to 300ºF or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard, brittle threads. (Watch carefully so mixture does not burn.) Immediately remove from heat. Quickly stir in baking soda mixture until light and foamy.
4. Pour half the candy mixture onto each cookie sheet; quickly spread about 1/4 inch thick. Cool completely, at least 1 hour. Break into pieces. Store in covered container.

February 27th: National Strawberry Day

I live very close to the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. And they grow the biggest, sweetest, and juiciest strawberries. So it's no wonder that making desserts with strawberries is one of my favorite things. Here's an easy recipe for a Strawberry Pie:

Ingredients
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches) -- (See January 23rd for a fool-proof pie crust recipe.)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
Fresh mint, optional
Directions
1. Blind bake the pie crust at 450° for 8 minutes. Remove pie weights; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in gelatin until dissolved. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes or until slightly cooled.

3. Meanwhile, arrange strawberries in the crust. Pour gelatin mixture over berries. Refrigerate until set. Garnish with mint if desired. Yield: 6-8 servings.

February 28th: National Chocolate Souffle Day

A souffle is a lightly baked cake made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites that are combined with other ingredients to make the dish either a savory main dish or a sweet dessert. The word in French means "to blow up" or "puff up." Don't be frightened by horror stories that you hear about making souffles. Take your time and follow the directions for a perfect souffle.
Ingredients
4 eggs

6 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar
Directions
1. Separate eggs; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Coat six 6-oz. souffle dishes with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar into each dish, tilting to cover the bottom and sides; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, whisk corn syrup, cocoa, egg yolks and vanilla until blended; set aside. In a large bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar on high until stiff peaks form. Gently fold a fourth of the egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; fold in remaining egg white mixture.
3. Spoon batter into prepared dishes. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm. Yield: 6 servings.

March 1st: National Peanut Butter Lover's Day

What better way to celebrate National Peanut Butter Lover's Day than to make some easy Peanut Butter Cookies!
Ingredients
1 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place the racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. In a medium bowl, mix the peanut butter, sugar, vanilla and egg until well combined. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the mixture about 1 inch apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten the mounds with the tines of a fork, making a crosshatch pattern on the cookies. Sprinkle coarse salt on top of the cookies. Bake until golden around the edges, about 10 minutes, switching the position of the sheets halfway through baking. Transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough.

March 2nd: National Banana Cream Pie Day

Bananas arrived in the United States in the 1880s. By the early 1900s, banana recipes appeared in every major cookbook across the country. Traditional banana cream pie recipes call for a crust made out of graham crackers or pastry dough; a layer of sliced bananas; a custard filling made with eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla; and a topping of whipped cream or meringue. Common embellishments include pecans or drizzles of chocolate and caramel. My grandmother made the best Banana Cream Pie. My father could always tell whether she had made it from scratch or from a mix. Here's my homage to my grandmother -- a classic version of the Banana Cream Pie:
Ingredients:
3/4 of a cup of white sugar
1/3 of a cup of all-purpose flour
1/4 of a teaspoon of salt
2 cups of milk
3 egg yolks, beaten (save egg whites for meringue)
2 tablespoons of butter
1 1/4 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 9-inch pie crust baked (See January 23rd for pie crust recipe)
4 bananas, sliced

1. Separate egg yolks and egg whites. Put egg whites aside for late to make meringue.
2. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Add milk gradually while stirring gently. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbly. Keep stirring and cook for about 2 more minutes, and then remove from the burner.
3. Stir a small quantity of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, and immediately add egg yolk mixture to the rest of the hot mixture. Cook for 2 more minutes; remember to keep stirring. Remove the mixture from the stove, and add butter and vanilla. Stir until the whole thing has a smooth consistency.
4. Slice half of the bananas into the cooled baked pastry shell. Put half of the pudding mixture over the sliced bananas. Slice the other half of the bananas on top of the pudding mixture and pour the remaining pudding mixture over the sliced bananas.
5. Beat 3 egg whites and 1/4 of a teaspoon of cream of tartar until frothy. Add 1/3 of a cup of sugar gradually. Continue beating egg whites until they hold a glossy peak.
6. Spoon meringue onto filling, sealing to the edge of crust. Bake at 375° for about 10 minutes, or until nicely browned.

March 3rd: National Mulled Wine Day

It's still cold outside for much of the country, so why not invite your best friends over for an evening in front of the fireplace and enjoy some hot mulled wine. Here's a simple recipe you can make in your crockpot:
Ingredients
3 cups (750 mL) red wine

4 cups apple cider
1 orange, sliced

2 sticks cinnamon
6 whole cloves
2 star anise
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a crock pot. Cook on low for 2 hours.
Strain out the spices and orange chunks.
Serve warm!
Optional: Add a shot of brandy to your glass!

March 4th: National Pound Cake Day

Just as the name implies, a pound cake is made with a pound of each ingredient. Check out the recipe below & you'll see why!
Ingredients:

1 pound cake flour (3-1/2 cups)
1 pound butter
1 pound sugar (2 cups)
1 pound eggs (9 large)
1 to 2 tablespoons vanilla extract or 1/2 to 1 tablespoon almond extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300°F. Prepare two or three bread loaf pans or one Bundt pan and a loaf pan. Cream butter well, add sugar gradually and cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs two at a time, and beat well after each. Add flavoring. Add flour gradually and beat until smooth. Pour mixture into pans. Bake about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

February 19th through 25th - National Food Holidays

Here are this week's National Food Holidays:

February 19th:  National Chocolate Mint Day
February 20th:  National Cherry Pie Day
February 21st:  National Sticky Bun Day
February 22nd:  National Margarita Day
February 23rd:  Dog Treat Appreciation Day 
February 24th:  National Tortilla Chip Day
February 25th:  National Chocolate Covered Nuts Day

February 19th:  National Chocolate Mint Day

Consider celebrating February 18th & 19th together and pair this decadent chocolate mint cake with a wonderful wine.  Here's a recipe for a chocolate mint lava cake:

Ingredients:

8 ounces of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

4 large eggs

1/2 pound (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, chopped

4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

1/2 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1 1/4 teaspoons of peppermint extract

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease eight 4-ounce cake molds or ramekins.

2.  Over a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring constantly. Once they are completely melted, set aside and cool.

3.  Combine the sugar and eggs and whisk until pale and fluffy. Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until completely blended. Whisk in the flour, nutmeg and peppermint extract and mix well.

4.  Pour the batter into the cake molds and bake for 14 minutes at 350°F.

5.  Remove the lava cakes from the oven and cool for 2 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, invert the molds onto individual dessert plates.

6.  garnish, as desired, with whipped cream, raspberries and mint leaves and serve immediately. 

February 20th:  National Cherry Pie Day

In celebration of President's Day and George Washington, bake yourself a cherry pie!  Here's a simple recipe for the cherry pie filling.

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 cup cherry juice blend

4 cups fresh tart cherries, pitted or frozen pitted tart cherries, thawed

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; gradually stir in cherry juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Add the cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg and extract; set aside.

Make your pie crust.  (See January 23rd for a fool-proof pie crust recipe.) Divide pastry in half so that one ball is slightly larger than the other.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out larger ball to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate; trim even with edge of plate. Add filling. Roll out remaining pastry; make a lattice crust. Trim, seal and flute edges.

Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°; bake 45-50 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

February 21st:  National Sticky Bun Day

One of the things that my grandmother made was Sticky Buns.  Here's her recipe!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of scalded milk

2 T. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 T. vegetable oil

1 package of yeast

1/2 c. warm water (110°F) - follow the directions on the yeast packet

1 egg

1 1/2 to 2 cups all purpose flour

Combine milk, sugar, salt & oil.  Cool.  Stir in yeast dissolved in water.  (Let yeast bloom according to package directions.)  Beat in egg.  Add in about 1 1/2 c. of flour.  Add additional flour until dough isn't sticky.  Knead the dough until smooth.  Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let the dough rise about 40 to 60 minutes until doubled.

While dough is rising make filling.

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. of butter or margarine, softened + additional melted butter to brush on top of dough (1 to 2 T.)

3/4 c. of pecans

white or brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. dark Karo syrup

Blend brown sugar & butter.  Spread in 9 or 10" square pan.  Arrange nuts over brown sugar & butter mixture.

Once dough has risen, punch down the dough and roll the dough out to about 15" x 8" on a floured surface.  Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with white or brown sugar & cinnamon mixture.  Roll like a jelly roll.  Cut in about 16 slices (a little less than an inch wide).  Arrange in pan on top of the butter, brown sugar & nut mixture.  Cover and let rise again (about 30 minutes).

Bake in a pre-heated 400°F oven for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and pour Karo syrup over rolls.  Bake an additional 5 minutes.

February 22nd:  National Margarita Day

Ingredients (for one margarita):

1 ounce of tequila

1 ounce of Cointreau

Fresh lime juice to taste

Kosher salt and a lime wedge for garnish

Rim a margarita glass with salt.  Shake other ingredients over ice and pour into the glass.  Garnish with a lime wedge.

To make a frozen margarita, take a 1/4 of a cup of crushed ice, tequila, Cointreau, & lime juice and mix in a blender.

February 23rd:  Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day

We have a new addition to our family -- the first fur baby that we've had in a long time having been cat owners previously.  In honor of Rosie, here's a recipe for dog treats.

Ingredients:

3.5 oz container sweet potato baby food

3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp gluten-free flour*

1/4 cup rolled oats

1 Tbsp honey

1 large egg, beaten

* all-purpose or whole wheat flour can also be used if your do doesn't have any wheat allergies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine sweet potato baby food, flour, rolled oats and honey.  Use a sturdy spatula to combine everything together.  Dump content onto a lightly floured working surface and knead dough together.  (This could probably be done in a mixer with a kneading paddle.)
3. Pat or roll dough to a thickness of about 1/4 to 1/2-inch.  Use desired cookie cutters to punch of shapes.  Stick to one or two similar sized shapes to ensure even baking.
4. Place cutouts on prepared baking sheet.  Lightly brush the tops of cutouts with beaten egg wash.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until biscuits are crisp and golden in color.  Rotate pan midway through baking.  Let treats cool in pan before treating your dog.

February 24th:  National Tortilla Chip Day

It's so easy & so much less expensive to make your own tortilla chips.  Here's how to do it:

Ingredients

1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons lime juice 
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cut each tortilla into 8 chip sized wedges and arrange the wedges in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
3. In a mister, combine the oil and lime juice. Mix well and spray each tortilla wedge until slightly moist.
4. Combine the cumin, chili powder and salt in a small bowl and sprinkle on the chips.
5. Bake for about 7 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for another 8 minutes or until the chips are crisp, but not too brown. Serve with salsas, garnishes or guacamole.

February 25th:  National Chocolate Covered Nuts Day

Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't!  Hopefully today's one of those days you do!  But just to make things even nicer, cover them with chocolate!

Ingredients:

2 pounds white candy coating, coarsely chopped  

1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips 
1 package (11-1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips 
5 cups salted dry roasted peanuts

Directions: 

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, cook and stir candy coating and chips until melted and smooth. Cool for 10 minutes; stir in peanuts.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes. Yield: 10 dozen.

February - Food Network's "A Year of Cupcakes"

February's cupcake is a Chocolate-Strawberry Cupcake.  Here's the Food Network link for the recipe.

The cupcake recipe was very easy to make and the chocolate covered strawberries were fun.  However, I still need to work on my frosting & piping skills.  As you can see my chocolate/white chocolate swirled butter cream frosting did NOT swirl.  It still tastes good.

I hope you enjoy making this cupcake - especially if you haven't made anything special for your Valentine.

Enjoy!

February 12th through 18th - National Food Holidays

Happy Valentines Week!  I hope you're planning a special menu for your Valentine this week.  Maybe some of these recipes will give you some inspiration.  (Also watch for my mid-February Food Network Cupcake of the Month.)

This week's National Food Holidays are:

February 12th:  National Plum Pudding Day

February 13th:  National Tortellini Day

February 14th:  National Cream Filled Chocolate Day

February 15th:  National Gum Drop Day

February 16th:  National Almond Day

February 17th:  National Indian Pudding Day

February 18th:  National Crab Stuffed Flounder Day

February 12th:  National Plum Pudding Day

Everyone knows the story "A Christmas Carol" and Tiny Tim.  Christmas or Plum Pudding is served every Christmas in Great Britain.  Despite the name, plum pudding does not contain any plums.  There is a popular myth that plum pudding's association with Christmas goes back to a custom in medieval England that the "pudding should be made on the 25th Sunday after Trinity, that it be prepared with 13 ingredients to represent Christ and the 12 apostles, and that every family member stir it in turn from east to west to honour the Magi and their journey in that direction."  Not exactly sure why this day is National Plum Pudding Day, but here's a recipe to try...

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) plums, drained, pitted and chopped
• 1-3/4 cups chopped dates
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup dried currants 
• HARD SAUCE:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup dark rum or orange juice

Directions

• 1. Generously grease an 8-cup pudding mold, metal gelatin mold or ovenproof bowl.
• 2. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mix bread crumbs, flour, orange peel, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, salt and cloves; gradually add to creamed mixture. Fold in plums, dates, raisins, carrots and currants.
• 3. Transfer to prepared pudding mold. Cover tightly with heavy-duty foil; tie foil with kitchen string to secure.
• 4. Place on a rack in a stockpot; add 3 in. of hot water to pot. Bring water to a gentle boil; steam cake, covered, 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; add additional water to pot as needed. Remove pudding from pot; let stand 5 minutes before unmolding.
• 5. Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat hard sauce ingredients until smooth and creamy. Unmold pudding onto a serving plate; serve warm with sauce. Yield: 12 servings (1-1/2 cups sauce).
  

February 13th:  National Tortellini Day

In the city of Bologna, there is an organization called the Learned Order of the Tortellini. The members are dedicated to the preservation of traditional tortellini. They wear red and gold hats shaped like tortellini and gold tortellini necklaces at their functions.  So today, why not become a member of the Learned Order of the Tortellini and make a traditional tortellini.

Purchase store-bought pasta sheets (or make your own) and cut the sheet into rounds using a 3" round cutter, spacing the rounds as close together as possible. Gather the scraps into a ball and put them with the remaining pieces of dough to re-roll later.

Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the middle of each round of pasta. Dip your finger in the bowl of water and run it along the edge of the round to moisten. Fold the dough over to form a half moon, then draw the two corners together to form a rounded bonnet-shape. Press tightly to seal. Toss with flour, set aside on well-floured baking sheet, and cover. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough, re-rolling the scraps.

February 14th:  National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day

How appropriate that today's recipe is for Cream-Filled Chocolates.  What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than to make your Valentine some cream-filled chocolates.  Here's a very simple recipe.  Enjoy surprising your Valentine.

Ingredients for Centers

• 1 cup of sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 lb softened margarine
• 2 1/2 lbs powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla (or any extract you like)
• a few drops of food coloring (optional)

Ingredients for Chocolate:

• 12 oz of semi-sweet bits
• 6 oz unsweetened chocolate
• Melt in microwave or in a double boiler to dip the centers in! Keep the chocolate warm while dipping centers.

Directions:

• Blend ingredients, then shape into 1" balls and chill for a few hours or overnight.
• Using a toothpick, dip each ball into the chocolate (recipe below) and cool on waxed paper or tin foil.
• Cover the toothpick hole with a little teensy bit more of the chocolate, using the toothpick

February 15th:  National Gum Drop Day

Gumdrops are believed to be an American invention.  The first published mention of gum drops came in 1859.  And, of course, anyone that's played the game "Candy Land" knows it features both a Gumdrop Pass and a Gumdrop Mountain.

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 1-1/3 cups applesauce
• 2 packages (3 ounces each) red or green gelatin
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

• 1. In a large saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar, applesauce, red or green gelatin, unflavored gelatin and lemon juice; let stand for 1 minute. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Immediately pour into a cold 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm.
• 2. With a spatula, loosen gelatin from sides of pan. To remove, invert onto waxed paper. Using kitchen scissors or small sharp cookie cutters dipped on hot water, cut into 1-in. squares or shapes.
• 3. Place on waxed paper. Dry at room temperature for about 8 hours or until slightly sticky. Roll in remaining sugar. Store in an airtight container. Yield: About 1-3/4 pounds.

February 16th:  National Almond Day

Today is National Almond Day and one of my favorite ways to eat almonds is in an almond joy bar.  It reminds me of one of my favorite scriptures, "Come, let us sing to the Lord.  Let us shout for JOY."  (Psalm 95:1a)  Back in August, I gave my choir members an almond joy bar with this Psalm as a welcome back to choir gift and a reminder of why we sing.  I also made an Almond Joy Cake.  Here's the simple recipe:

Make a chocolate or devil's food cake in a 9"x13" pan.  Use your favorite box mix or make it from scratch with your favorite chocolate cake recipe.

After the cake is baked, gently poke holes into the warm cake.  Mix a 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk with a 10 ounce package of sweetened coconut.  Spread the mixture over the cake.  Some of the sweetened condensed milk will seep into the fork holes.

Then melt one stick of butter, one 12-ounce package of chocolate chips, and 1/4 of a cup of milk together.  This can be done in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish.  Stir until smooth.  Pour the chocolate mixture over the coconut-topped cake.  Spread the chocolate mixture over the cake to cover completely.  Sprinkle 2 ounces of sliced almonds on the top of the cake.

To serve easier, put the cake in the refrigerator to set the chocolate.  Cut into pieces and serve.

 

February 17th:  National Indian Pudding Day

Father and I went down to camp
Along with Captain Gooding
And there we saw the men and boys
As thick as hasty pudding.
Yankee Doodle, keep it up
Yankee Doodle dandy
Mind the music and the step
And with the girls be handy

Verse 2 of "Yankee Doodle Dandy"

Indian pudding is a baked pudding served hot or warm, made of cornmeal, milk, molasses and spices. It’s a richer, sweetened form of hasty pudding, a porridge of cornmeal cooked in milk or water.  The term "Indian" pudding does not refer to the supposition that the pudding was invented by Native American Indians but the fact that the early settlers, like the Plymouth colony immigrants, used what they called "Indian" corn to make the pudding similar to the warm puddings that they enjoyed in England.  Instead of using flour, which was not available to them, they used cornmeal instead.  So here's a simple, traditional recipe for Indian pudding:

Ingredients:

2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups of milk

5 tablespoons of yellow cornmeal

1/3 of a cup of molasses

1/3 of a cup of maple syrup

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup of cold milk

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 300°F.

2.  Grease a 1-½ quart soufflé mold or baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter; set aside.

3.  Heat 3 cups of milk in a saucepan until it is close to boiling.  Add the cornmeal and reduce heat to low.  Stir until the mixture thickens (about 5 minutes).

4.  Remove from the heat and add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter, the molasses, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, salt and egg. Pour into buttered dish.

5.  Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.

6.  Pour the cold milk over the pudding and return to the oven. Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes until the top is brown and crisp. Serve hot or warm with topping of choice -- either ice cream or whipped cream.

February 18th:  National Crab Stuffed Flounder Day

Enjoy some seafood -- even if it isn't summer.  And while you're at it, have a glass of wine with your dinner to also celebrate "Drink Wine" Day!

Ingredients For 4 Servings:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 celery rib, minced

¼ cup chopped parsley or dill plus more for garnish

½ cup plain breadcrumbs

8 ounces crab meat, picked over

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/8 tablespoon cayenne

4 8-ounce flounder or tilapia fillets

1 teaspoon paprika

4-8 toothpicks

Optional garnish: lemon slice or wedge, parsley or dill sprigs

Directions:

1. PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Lightly oil 9 x13-inch ovenproof dish.

2. MELT butter in skillet. Add onion and celery and sauté until soft. Stir in parsley or dill. Remove skillet from heat and stir in breadcrumbs, crab meat, lemon juice and cayenne.

3. DIVIDE crab meat mixture among fillets and roll up. Hold together with toothpicks. Place fish seam side down in baking dish. Sprinkle paprika over fish.

4. BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with dill and lemon before serving.