Category Archives: Holidays

April 5, 2011 · 1:50 pm

I had a Little Chicken Deviled Eggs

Which came first?  When I was a little girl Paw Paw gave me a little chick for Easter.  I simply adored Peep Peep. Paw Paw’s brother, Uncle Bobby, who lived two doors down from Granny and Paw Paw, taught me this rhyme.  He got a kick out of listening to me recite it.

Well, I had a little chicken
And she wouldn’t lay an egg
So I poured hot water up and down her leg
Little chicken hollered and little chicken begged
Little chicken laid a hard boiled egg!

These little chicks will delight your children and they are a snap to make.  Serve them during Easter festivities.  For an adorable lunchbox, put two in a nest of lettuce or use a cupcake liner.

Method

Boil eggs.  Peel. Slice in half to create two tall halves.  Slice off rounded bottom so egg half will not wobble.  Remove yolks and place in small bowl.  Mix with a little mayonaise, mustard, salt and pepper.

Spoon yolk mixture back into halves.  With a wet finger, smooth out the rounded shape of the yolk.  Slice a small carrot into triangles to make beaks.  Use two black sesame seeds for eyes or use whatever you have around the kitchen.

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Filed under Holidays, Lunch Box, Vegetarian

March 12, 2011 · 2:24 pm

Darnell’s Deviled Eggs

Each Easter Dave’s sister Darnell hosts a crawfish boil for the family.  You can count on her to also serve these classic deviled eggs, which are Dave’s favorite.  Darnell has a special deviled egg tray that comes with an ice insert to keep the eggs cold even when they sit outside for awhile.

I own a copy of A Southern Belle Primer or Why Princess Magaret will never be a Kappa Kappa Gamma, and in it there is a chapter explaining the expectations people have about their deviled eggs in the South:

“I’ll never forget a picnic where a friend of my mother’s once served us deviled eggs that didn’t have any mayonaise in them at all.  It was some fancy kind of oil and mustard she’d gotten from some book.  We were all appalled but too polite to say anything.  She had them on a deviled egg plate just like they were the real thing.  But she didn’t fool anybody.  If it doesn’t have mayonaise, it isn’t a deviled egg.”

Deviled eggs also makes the book’s Top Ten List of what to bring to a funeral reception.  Broccoli casserole with rice, cream of mushroom soup and Velveeta and  grits casserole with butter, eggs and garlic Velveeta also make the list.  It appears the Savoies are true Southerners as those exact recipes can be found on Savoie Secrets.

By Darnell, Elizabeth’s sister-in-law

Ingredients

12 eggs
3 Tbsp mayonaise
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup sweet relish, place on paper towel and squeeze out juice
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
paprika if desired

Method

1. Boil eggs either for 10 minutes, or bring to a boil, cover, turn off heat and let sit for 15 minutes. (Darnell prefers older eggs as they are easier to peel.)

2. Immediately plunge into ice cold water to cool completely. Peel.

3. Slice in half and carefully remove the yolk.

4. Mash yolk and mix with other ingredients except paprika.  Combine until smooth.

5. Spoon into egg whites or use a pastry bag fitted with a star tip to pipe the mixture into the egg whites.

6.  Sprinkle with paprika if desired.

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February 17, 2011 · 8:16 am

Homemade Chocolate Covered Caramels

Dave and I enjoyed making these chocolate covered caramels for Valentine’s Day.  He made the caramel, and I dipped them in the chocolate. You know someone loves you when they spend time with you in the kitchen!  Because the recipe makes so much, I brought a few to the St. Anne’s February meeting.  Several people asked for the recipe.  Southern Living girls.  I couldn’t live without it OR my husband.

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet from Southern Living, February 2011 issue.

Ingredients

  • 1  cup  sugar
  • 1  cup  dark corn syrup
  • 1  cup  butter
  • 1  (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
  • 1  (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels
  • 2  tablespoons  shortening
  • wax or parchment paper
  • candy thermometer

Method

*Butter 8×8 dish before beginning so you can be quick with the pouring later.

1. Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a 3-qt. saucepan over medium heat; cook, without stirring, 7 minutes.

2. Stir in condensed milk, and bring to a boil over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 238° to 240° (soft ball stage), about 20 to 25 minutes. (We had to keep moving the thermometer, which attaches to the pot.  The mixture behind it was not getting stirred enough and was turing a darker color.)

3. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Pour into a buttered 8-inch square pan. Let stand at room temperature 8 hours.

4. Invert caramel onto a cutting board.  I ran some hot water over the bottom of my pan because it was a cold day and the caramel wouldn’t come out.  I also started to release it on one side with the scraper.  Cut into 1-inch squares using a bench scraper or knife.  Measure and slightly mark your square 8 x 8 and then cut.  I choose to do 7 x 7 and the candy was a little too large for my liking.

5. Cook chocolate and shortening in a saucepan over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Toss caramels in chocolate mixture, in batches of three.  Use a spoon to cover each with chocolate.  Remove with a fork, tapping the side of the pot and scraping the extra chocolate off the bottom of the fork as you transfer the caramel to wax paper.  Gently transfer off the fork with a push from the spoon.

*Tip: Use a toothpick to separate extra chocolate on the wax paper from the candy to create a clean look.  See the recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls for an example of this method.

6. Chill 1 hour. Let stand at room temperature 30 to 45 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Ideas: Sprinkle with crystallized ginger or coarse sea salt before the chocolate hardens.  If you have any chocolate coating leftover, consider dipping a few marshmallows halfway in to coat.  It’s better than letting the chocolate go to waste!

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Filed under Candy, Holidays, Showers or Teas

December 20, 2010 · 1:39 pm

Corn Casserole

I made this recipe for Thanksgiving in place of  a traditional cornbread dressing and everyone loved it. It’s not as dense as some dressings can be and  because of the cheese it seems to melt in your mouth. So enjoy!  By Kayla Savoie
.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 (16 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (16 oz.) can cream-style corn
1 (9 oz.) package corn muffin mix (jiffy)
1/2 onion
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup shredded cheese
 

Method

  • Preheat oven to 350
  • Dice onions and saute them in olive oil until softened
  • In a large bowl mix together butter, sour cream and egg.
  • Stir in cans of corn, muffin mix, onions, and cheese.
  • Spray an 8X8 pan and pour mixture into it.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, remove from oven sprinkle cheese over the top and put foil back on top. This will allow the cheese to melt without burning.
 

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Filed under Holidays, Side Dish, Vegetarian

December 14, 2010 · 4:54 pm

Cranberry Key Lime Punch

We’ve been looking for a punch with a kick and finally found one that we love.  We tested it at Thanksgiving and saw many family members go back for a second and even third cup!  The red and green colors make this one a good choice for Christmas parties.

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet based on a Southern Living recipe

Ingredients

4 cups fresh cranberries, plus more for garnish (3 cups are in the bag)
2 cups of sugar
2 cups water
1 cup freshly squeezed key lime juice
sliced key limes for garnish
2 cups chilled vodka
2 liters or more chilled club soda

Method

Set aside some time the day before to juice the key limes. It can be time consuming and the acid from the juice may irritate your hands if you do not wear gloves. You may wish to take a break. Store juice in the refrigerator.

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and stir to combine.  Add rinsed cranberries.  Cook over medium heat until most cranberries have popped.  Mixture may not come to a boil.  Pour mixture through a wire mesh strainer into a pitcher.  I use my 8 cup measuring cup.  Discard solids.  Cool completely.

Add key lime juice. You can refrigerate at this point or continue.  When ready to serve, pour into a punch bowl and add in chilled vodka and club soda.  Taste to see if you would prefer more of either.  Top punch with fresh cranberries and key lime slices.  This punch may be served alone or over ice.

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Filed under Drink, Holidays

December 9, 2010 · 3:38 pm

Janeen’s Cranberry Christmas Punch

What’s a party without punch? My Phi Mu sister Janeen served this yummy Christmas punch at an ornament exchange I attended at her home.  The recipe was a keeper!  You can mix most of the ingredients ahead of time and add the ginger ale just before serving. It looks beautiful in a punch bowl or glass beverage dispenser.

by Janeen, Elizabeth’s friend

Mix:
2 quarts Cranberry Juice Cocktail, chilled
1 60z can frozen orange juice concentrate thawed (half size can)
1 6oz can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 tsp. almond extract or 1/4 cup amaretto

Add before serving:
1 liter ginger ale, chilled
handful of fresh cranberries
slices of a lemon and an orange

 

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November 30, 2010 · 9:49 am

Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins

These little muffins taste like butter pecan ice cream without the ice cream!  In 1998 I (Elizabeth) did my student teaching at Barbe High School in Lake Charles.  It was my first taste of what the teacher’s lounge had to offer…lots of treats!  The math teacher, Mrs. Bradley, brought in these pecan pie muffins and I couldn’t get enough of them.  Her husband, Mr. Bradley, was one of Dave’s math professors at McNeese.  He was a lucky man to have such a good cook for a wife!  When my father-in-law brings me a bag of hand peeled pecans from his trees in Lafayette, I know just what to do with them.

by Mrs. Bradley

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
2/3 cup real butter melted
2 eggs beaten

Combine the sugar, flour, and pecans.  Beat the eggs and butter together.  Pour egg and butter mixture over the pecan mixture and stir until moist.  Fill miniature muffin tins 2/3 full. You can either grease the tin or use papers.  Bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes.  Makes about 4 dozen.

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Filed under Dessert, Holidays, Lunch Box

November 2, 2010 · 9:58 am

Fruit Cookie Cups

These adorable cookie cups are at must at birthday parties.  We call them “adult cupcakes” since they are so much better than regular cupcakes. They also make a great Fourth of July treat when topped with blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries.

by Mary Ellen Burton

1 package Pillsbury sugar cookies (The flat one, not the tube.)
1 7oz jar marshmallow cream
1 8oz cream cheese block softened
small pieces of fruit

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a mini-muffin pan. Let cream cheese sit on the counter to soften while making the cookie cups.

Cookie Cups:
Use a pizza cutter to cut each cookie in half while it’s still on the cardboard.  Roll each half in the palm of your hand and press into a 1″ circle. Place each disk in the mini-muffin pan.

Press a tool into a cup of flour and then press a circle into the dough until a cup is formed and the sides reach top of pan. Mom actually owns a wooden kitchen tool made for tasks such as this, but if you don’t, get creative!  We’ve been known to use the end of an ice cream scoop and even the handle of a screwdriver!  Your fingers do not work well for this job because they do not put even pressure on the sides of the pan.  The cookies will likely be thin around the top and be difficult to remove later.

Bake for around 8 minutes.  Cool in pan for 3-5 minutes and carefully pry the cups out with a butter knife.  If you wait too long, the cookies may crumble when removed.  If you try to remove them too early, they are too soft to remove.  You want them just right where the cookie is still soft enough to press back into shape if they are damaged during removal.

Repeat process for second half of dough.

Let cookie cups cool completely.

Filling:
In a mixer, combine marshmallow cream and cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Do not attempt to combine by hand. (This is the same recipe as our favorite fruit dip.)

Fill a pastry bag or Ziploc bag with the corner cut off with mixture and carefully fill each cookie cup.  You can also scoop and drop the mixture into the cups with a spoon.

Top with fruit.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield 24 cookie cups.  We often double the recipe for a crowd.

If you are in a hurry, make fruit pizza instead (see picture below) following the same recipe. Cut into bite-sized squares to serve.

Use pizza cutter to slice cookies in half.

Let cups cool completely before filling.

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Filed under Appetizer, Dessert, Holidays, Lunch Box, Showers or Teas, Vegetarian

October 21, 2010 · 7:49 am

Fluffy Pumpkin Dip

Our basic fruit dip is ready for fall!  Serve along side apples, vanilla wafers or graham cracker sticks. It makes a nice addition to a Halloween or Thanksgiving buffet. A good snack for kids, pumpkin dip just sounds like autumn.

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

1 8oz pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 7oz jar marshmallow cream
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

In a mixer, beat cream cheese and marshmallow cream until well blended.  Add pumpkin and spices and mix well.  Chill.  Serve with apples, vanilla wafers or graham cracker sticks.

*Also see our similar Pumpkin Apple Dip recipe.



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Filed under Appetizer, Dessert, Holidays, Lunch Box

October 21, 2010 · 7:47 am

Pumpkin Apple Dip

Brown sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin make this dip ideal for fall celebrations like Halloween and Thanksgiving.  I packed it in the kid’s lunch box this morning with apple slices and graham crackers.


by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

sliced apples

In a mixer, beat all ingredients until smooth.  Chill. Serve with apples.

*You may also like our similar Fluffy Pumpkin Dip.

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