When I heard about the movie Julie and Julia, I thought, “Oh my gosh, that is me!”  This movie interested me so much that I purchased it for my own Christmas stocking.  You see, I love cooking so much that I started a blog sharing recipes about 6 years ago and have been going strong ever since.  I was having so much fun with it that I was inspired to write and publish a cookbook for families that had very little time to put together gourmet meals called Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen.

My focus was to write a cookbook that was helpful, easy to understand and with quick and easy recipes that will bring the family back to the dinner table for 30 quality minutes a day.  So you can only imagine how excited I was to learn of this movie.  I could not wait to see it, but I forced myself to wait until Christmas, after all “Santa” had put it in my Christmas stocking.

I am a member of a couple of email groups and they all know me as the group’s “foodie.”   I love cooking home cooked meals for family and friends and am always looking for new ways to help busy families create home-cooked meals in an effort to bring families together. My newest addition to assisting families in the kitchen is my cooking group on Facebook.

I had often thought about purchasing Julia Child’s book Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but thought it would have too many exotic ingredients that I would not like or that I could not find.  To my surprise I received the cookbook from a friend this year Christmas!  You can image how excited I was because I knew I had the movie in my Christmas stocking!

Looking through the cookbook, there are many recipes that I will never try because I do not like seafood.  However, there will be many recipes that I will try.  Even for the seasoned cook like me, there are pages of information that I cannot wait to sit down and read.

I will never attend Le Cordon Blue in Paris, nor will I be a professional chef, but my love of cooking will continue to shine through my blog and my cookbooks.  I will be able to cook meals for family and friends that will make them happy.  My motto, “No one will leave my table hungry” will continue to hold true.

My simple advice while trying something new: Have fun cooking.  It does not matter if the dish turns out or if you throw it in the trash.  If you have the attitude of “I am experimenting.  I am a grand scientist in my lab. This is FUN!” you will enjoy every minute.

Betty Lynch, author of Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen, and owner of My Country Kitchen, Easy Answers to Bring Your Family Together. My Country Kitchen prides itself in helping family’s cook easy, convenient meals so that the family can save money in today’s economy. Recipes, tips and ideas for easy and nutritious meals are only a click away. You may visit her website at http://www.mycountrykitchen.com; Email at: blynch1490@gmail.com

Have you watched the movie Julie & Julia yet?  I honestly didn’t know if I would enjoy it because I am kind of domestically challenged.  Instead of inducing visions of sugarplums, my culinary arts created more of a Nightmare on Emerson Street. Hand me a word processor and I tear it up, but put me in front of a pot of boiling water and I break into a cold sweat.  It’s a case of PTSD, I’m sure of it.

Oh don’t get me wrong, I owned Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  A gift from a loving friend to assist me in my homemaking challenges.  It had a revered place on my bookshelf.  I was mortally afraid of opening the darn thing.  My husband was fond of teasing me about the aftermath of my holiday baking spree, likening me to Lucille Ball more often than Julia Child.  The fact of the matter is he was more likely to be mistaken for the master of the kitchen than I was.  That was until I received an assignment to edit a cookbook.

“What?  Me?  You have got to be kidding!” I said.  “To me, a’ blanc sounds like a great name for a character in a French mystery novel.”

I don’t enjoy writing about subjects that I don’t understand or know very little about, hence my hesitation in taking this job.  I knew I could get all the words to line up in a nice pattern and make sense, but I wasn’t “feeling” it.  I’m proud to say that I donned my big girl panties and took the assignment with the resolution I would make the recipes as I worked on the book, therefore “becoming the book” as I edited it.

Oh my God!  Talk about a living nightmare.  The kitchen exploded in a “flour covered delirium”.  No one came near me for fear I would fling a stick of butter at them.  I found myself calling the author, Betty Lynch, on a daily basis, not to discuss the edits, but to receive instructions on how to clean petrified egg white off the ceiling. I feared she would belittle me or laugh at my mistakes, but I found that she was a warm and delightful human who never made me feel like a complete moron, although I heard her catch her breath a time or two (I mean, who could blame her).  We had such fun during those conversations that we decided to include them in the cookbook itself.

I am sure there are thousands of women around the world who learned to cook watching and reading Julia Child.  As for me, I learned to cook from Betty Lynch, author of My Country Kitchen.  You can get to know Betty at her website www.mycountrykitchen.com

Kim is an author, public speaker and mentor of the Law of Attraction, relationships, and marketing. She is the owner of several successful businesses. You can find her at http://www.thebigfatgiveaway.com

This article was emailed to me from a friend when I was suffering from sinus problems.  The article was emailed to her without the source, so I do apologize for not recognizing the author.  I drank several cups of honey and cinnamon.  I’m not sure if the “cure” worked, but it taste very good.  I wanted to get the information out about this wonderful treatment that seemed to help open up my sinuses.

Honey & Cinnamon

Bet the drug companies won’t like this one getting around.

Facts on honey and cinnamon: It is found that a mixture of honey and cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most

of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a “Ram Ban” (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases.

Today’s science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients. Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada, on its issue dated 17 January, 1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists:

HEART DISEASES:
Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also those who have already had an attack, if they do this process daily they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat.  In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that  

as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins.

ARTHRITIS:
Arthritis patients may take daily, morning, and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured.  In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week, out of the 200 people so treated, practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis

started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS:
Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.

TOOTHACHE:
Make a paste of one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and five teaspoons of honey and apply on the aching tooth. This may be applied three times a day until the tooth stops aching.

CHOLESTEROL:
Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS:
Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH:
Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from the root.

GAS:
According to the studies done in India and Japan , it is revealed that if honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM:
Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION:
Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA:
A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural Ingredient which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient

from flu.

LONGEVITY:
Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age.  Take four spoons of honey, one spoon of cinnamon powder and three cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans also increases and even a 100 year old, starts performing the chores of a 20-year-old.

PIMPLES:
Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS:
Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.

WEIGHT LOSS:
Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast on an empty stomach and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. If taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

CANCER:
Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month three times a day.

FATIGUE:
Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body.  Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts, are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M. when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body within a week.

BAD BREATH:
People of South America , first thing in the morning, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water, so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS:
Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restore hearing.

Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it!

The holidays is my favorite time of the year to try new recipes. Why not expand your tea recipes and host a holiday tea for your family and friends. We have given you some wonderful recipes to put together your holiday tea. Why not try this new recipe that My Country Kitchen just discovered.

Don’t forget to be thankful for all things in your life during this holiday season. My Country Kitchen is grateful to Roses n’ Teacups for this opportunity to share recipes with you.

Almond Biscuits

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 cup finely chopped almonds
5 ounces almonds
3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Combine the flour, eggs, margarine, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and chopped almonds to form a smooth dough. Stir in the whole almonds.

Divide dough into 3 equal parts and roll each portion out into a cylindrical log shape. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place refrigerated rolls of dough onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool then slice into 1/2 inch thick slices. Put cookies onto greased baking sheet and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. The cookies are very crisp when done.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Betty Lynch, author of Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen, and owner of My Country Kitchen, Easy Answers to Bring Your Family Together.  You may visit her website at http://www.mycountrykitchen.com

Tuna Salad sandwiches are great tea party sandwiches.  You can make the Tuna Salad before your party and let it sit in your refrigerator for up to 24 hours in advance.  This lets the flavors marry together.  The salad is also great to put in a bowl and serve with your favorite crackers.

This recipe is a family favorite.  I hope you will enjoy the recipe, too.

My Country Kitchen’s Ultimate Tuna Salad Sandwiches

2 to 3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise (or your desired amount)
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onions
3 heaping tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon finely minced celery
1/4 teaspoon season salt
2 hard boiled egg, minced
2 (6 ounce) can light chunk tuna in water, drained
1 cup chopped red delicious apple
1 tablespoon minced cilantro or parsley
6 slices reduced-calorie whole wheat bread, toasted
6 lettuce leaves
6 thinly sliced tomatoes

Combine all ingredients, serve on toasted bread of choice, or on a plate of mixed greens.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Betty Lynch, author of Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen, and owner of My Country Kitchen, Easy Answers to Bring Your Family Together.  You may visit her website at http://www.mycountrykitchen.com

In all of my research this month I found two incredible recipes for your tea party.  A Honey Fruit Salad that is so light and yet so delicious.  You might want to make some extra just to keep on hand to snack on.   The Delightful Cake recipe is oh so delightful!  Not only is this cake recipe a wonderful tea party ending, but would also be wonderful surprise to your holiday menu.

Honey Fruit Salad

1 cup each of seedless grapes, halved strawberries, sliced Kiwi, Mandarin Orange Segments
1/8 cup honey mixed with 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Mix fruit together and pour dressing and toss lightly.

Delightful Cake

2 cups butter or margerine
2cups packed brown sugar
Angel food cake cut into 1 inch cubes
Chopped Pecans

In saucepan combine butter or margarine and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook until syrup reaches soft ball stage (240 degrees). Remove from heat. Using tongs, dip cubes of angel food cake in syrup, roll in pecans and set on wax paper to cool. Store in airtight container.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Betty Lynch, author of Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen, and owner of My Country Kitchen, Easy Answers to Bring Your Family Together.  You may visit her website at http://www.mycountrykitchen.com

A melt in your mouth dessert that will wow your guests is Baklava.  I remember the day I first tasted Baklava.  I was a teenager and it was love at first taste.  Baklava is such an elegant dessert that makes such a beautiful presentation on your buffet.  It takes a while to prepare the dessert, but your guests will love it.

Easy Baklava

1½ hours | 30 min prep

SERVES 36

1 lb mixed nuts, chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter a 9×13 inch dish.
3. Toss together cinnamon and nuts.
4. Unroll phyllo and cut whole stack in half to fit the dish.
5. Cover phyllo with a damp cloth while assembling the baklava, to keep it from drying out.
6. Place two sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the prepared dish.
7. Brush generously with butter.
8. Sprinkle 2 to 3 T of the nut mixture on top.
9. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with about 6 sheets of phyllo.
10. Using a sharp knife, cut baklava(all the way through to the bottom of the dish) into four long rows, then (nine times) diagonally to make 36 diamond shapes.
11. Bake in preheated oven 50 minutes, until golden and crisp.
12. While baklava is baking, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to boil.
13. Stir in honey, vanilla and lemon zest, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
14. Remove the baklava from the oven immediately and spoon the syrup over it.
15. Let cool completely before serving.
16. Store uncovered.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Betty Lynch, author of Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen, and owner of My Country Kitchen, Easy Answers to Bring Your Family Together.  You may visit her website at http://www.mycountrykitchen.com

Nothing says Summer time like your favorite seafood tea sandwich at your next tea party.  Shrimp, crab or lobster may be used in this tea sandwich recipe.  To make it extra special try a combination of your favorite seafoods.  Let your imagination run wild with this recipe!

Seafood Tea Sandwich

3/4 cup soft butter or cream cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
20 slices bread of your choice
2 cups finely chopped crab, shrimp or lobster
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the butter and chives and spread the mixture onto 1 side of each slice of bread. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl, then evenly spread the mixture over 10 of the bread slices. Top with the other 10 slices, remove the crusts, and cut into your favorite shapes. Makes 40 quarters or 30 fingers.

Enjoy!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Betty Lynch, author of Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen, and owner of My Country Kitchen, Easy Answers to Bring Your Family Together.  You may visit her website at http://www.mycountrykitchen.com

Spring Tea Parties are so Refreshing!

Nothing says refreshing better than fresh strawberries.  I love strawberries!  They will make for a wonderful addition to your tea party menu.  Chocolate Dipped Strawberries are everyone’s favorite.  Dip your strawberries in melted white or milk chocolate and let rest on wax paper until chocolate has harden.  If you have a small chocolate fountain at your tea party, your guests will enjoy dipping the strawberries.

Meringue cookies will become your guests favorite cookie.  They need lots of love and patients when you are making them, just like angel food cake.  Enjoy the process of making your meringue cookies, and then experiment with different flavors.  Your loving touch will make these cookies a delight.

Strawberry Meringue Cookies

1/2 cup pasteurized egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon strawberry extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 drops red food coloring

Preheat oven to 215 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat egg whites, 1 teaspoon strawberry extract, and cream of tartar on medium speed until frothy. With mixer running, add powdered sugar in tablespoon increments. Add food coloring and continuing beating until stiff peak form. (Careful not to over beat.)

Transfer mixture to a pastry bag or large zip-top bag fitted with large round tip. Pipe into 2-inch spirals on prepared baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, rotating once. Turn off oven and open door. With meringues still inside oven, let dry out for 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove parchment paper from baking sheet and let meringues cool completely.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Betty Lynch, author of Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen, and owner of My Country Kitchen, Easy Answers to Bring Your Family Together.  You may visit her website at http://www.mycountrykitchen.com

Baked Brie is such an elegant dish to serve at your tea party.  This recipe of Baked Brie in Phyllo dough makes a beautiful presentation to any tea party menu, when served on a beautiful plate with the strawberry jam running down onto to the plate.  Don’t forget to add a pretty crackers to the plate along with a cheese knife to cut into the baked brie.  I’m sure this dish will be one of the first to disappear from the table.

BAKED BRIE IN PHYLLO

1 (6-inch) round of brie
4-5 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted
4 tbsp. butter, melted
3/4 cup good quality jam (raspberry or strawberry)
½ cup additional strawberry or raspberry jam
Serve with your favorite crackers

Butter each sheet of phyllo dough and place in a pie plate or quiche dish, with the ends hanging over the edge. Spread half the jam in the center of the dough, top with brie and the rest of the jam. Bring the edges of the phyllo dough up over the top and seal well, using most of the remaining butter.

Turn the “package” over and brush the top well with the rest of the butter. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove and let sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.  In the microwave, warm ½ cup strawberry jam and pour over the top. This can be served as an hors d’oeuvre at a large party or as part of a brunch menu. Serves 10 or more.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Betty Lynch, author of Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen, and owner of My Country Kitchen, Easy Answers to Bring Your Family Together.  You may visit her website at http://www.mycountrykitchen.com