A TOAST TO THE HAPPY COUPLE

JFK and Jackie and classic gown

HOW THE WORLD COOKS
BY MYRA WALDO
A June wedding is the young womans dream. The weather is usually concillatory, often better.  As James Russell Lowell said:"And what is so rare as a day in June? Then if ever, come perfect days." The mothers shed a few tears, the fathers breathe a sigh of relief, the young couple kisses, and then the guests must be fed. First of course comes a toast, traditionally made with a punch. Alcoholic or not, it's as traditional as kissing the bride.
The word punch probably comes from the Hindustani punch, meaning five. For five was the traditional number of ingredients which, when combined blended into a happy union, like the newlyweds, hopefully. Originally the five consisted of the strong(liquor) and the sharp(spices). Later, when tastes changed the spices were removed and heres how a poem sums its up:

Where oer' a bowl of punch we make,

four striking opposites we take, the strong, the weak, the sour, the sweet, together mixed, most kindly meet.

CELEBRATION AROUND THE CORNER

May and June equals Graduations and Weddings!
I have been so excited to finally get to post all these recipes and ideas for Weddings and Graduation...which are two very big Punch events! Here is another "Party Idea" from the 50's:
Is there a June graduate in your family? Why not mark the great occasion with a lawn party for classmates of 53?  The girls in their white party dresses, the boys in their blue coats, can toast each other's success with Amber Punch served dramatically from a wonderful fruit-garnished watermelon bowl. Have a camera and plenty of color film to record this event.

AMBER PUNCH


1/2 CUP SUGAR
2 QUART STRONG TEA/ COLD
2 QUART CHILLED APPLE JUICE
1 & 1/2 CUP JUICE OF MARASCHINO CHERRIES
1 BLOCK OF ICE
brew tea let cool, add sugar. stir until dissolved. In punch bowl combine tea,apple juice and cherry juice, add ice block.
yields:36 punch cup servings
serve with rolled sandwiches tied with school colors ribbons.

My ko-zun Katie

Rules Of The Award:

List 10 facts about yourself

Tag 10 other bloggers

Tell them about the award!

Ten Facts:

My sweet little cousin Katie (of the "A Kate Day Blog") gave me an award, I am honored. So like my cousin I don't know if these are interesting to you but they are facts...


1. I have a "tatoo" under my left eye, that I received at a very young age. (1 yr)
2. My sister was a lead pencil wielding "tatoo artist" at a very young age. (2 yr)
3. I have met 2 other people not related to my sister with the same "tatoo"
4. I love the color pink, but only the color that appears during certain sunsets.
5. I can't stand the thought of eating a banana, never have...but I like banana bread and strawberry/banana smoothies.
6. I have a photo of Mick Jager on my living room wall, playing the harmonica at a concert my friend went to in Seattle and somehow was able to take this amazing shot.
7. This is not about me but I find it interesting that I know it. Led Zeplin once opened for another band in my city and the band was "Vanilla Fudge"which for those of you youngsters was a sort of one song wonder band.
8. People say that the ability to roll your tongue is heriditary, but I actually taught myself, one lazy summer in my youth. I also learned how to whistle with 2 fingers like people do when they whistle for their dogs and such. That summer my cousin (Kates mom) took a  clover leaf and stuck it on her eyeball like a contact. Ha Ha
9. I once found a womans contact in a patch of strawberries. It was one of those scenes where someone says, "don't move I just lost my contact" I looked down and it was like I had spidy vision,  reached down and picked it up, just like that.
10. I find it interesting that the more you talk to God the clearer you hear His voice. So I do it all the time now. 

I would like to pass this award on to the following blogs.

junebug furniture and design

comida es mi vida y vida es comida

artistta

educated abroad

priyas easy and tasty recipes 

the vintage rose

bon apetite
amelies house
classic style

A TREASURE REVEALED

I thought you might like to see the actual collection and get a sense of what its like to dig through this box night after night uncovering treasures. Last night i found these....keepsakes my dad had kept. They are my and my sisters ring size, that we had sent to him when he was overseas in Malta, needless to say he came home with many treasures for us including our birthstone rings.

One lump or ...20?

Here are a couple of drinks made with sugar cubes!

Champagne Cocktail

place one cube of sugar in chilled Champagne glass and add dash of bitters.  Fill with chilled Champagne and serve without stirring. Garnish with a slice of orange.

Cafe' Diablo

the peel of one orange (spiral)

the peel of one lemon (spiral)

20 small sugar cubes

10 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1 cup brandy

4 cups double strength coffee

In brulot bowl or chafing dish,over direct heat, combine peels with sugar cubes,cloves and cinnamon sticks. Heat gently.

Add 1 cup brandy and ignite carefully/while brandy is burning, pour in the coffee. serve in demitasse cups. Serves 6

The Story of Chateau La Salle Wine

After many years of patient testing and tasting. The Christian Brothers finally achieved the glory of this wine which they submitted as yet unnamed-to the judges of the two Official California Wine Judgings who awarded it nine gold medals from 1955 through 1959. Plainly such a wine desrved a very special name.
And so... the Christian Brothers named this wine after a beautiful old Chateau in Reims France. It was the home of their founder St Jean Baptiste de La Salle born in 1651.
As St Jean Baptiste de La Salle brought goodness and enlightenment into the hearts of men, it is The Brothers hope that their Chateau La Salle brings goodness and enlightenment of happy companionship into your home.

Pretty cheesey I know....and I couldn't find this wine in any listing. However there are some delicious sounding recipes for cooking with this wine that I will share anyway and if anyone knows what a comparable wine would be to substitute please do let us know.


Ham with oranges
1center slice of ham
1 mediium orange
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup of Chateau La Salle
Brown ham in butter, add orange slices, cook about 1 minute, add wine, turn heat on low, braise ham and oranges in wine for 10 minutes, if wine cooks away, add enough water to capture the essence in the pan. Remove ham and arrange on platter with orange slices.


Chateau Fruit compote
2 medium oranges
1/2 cup seeded grapes
1/2 cup Chateau La Salle
2 tbs sugar
Combine all ingredients mariante several hours in refrigerator, serve in dessert glass.

Bella Italiana

Under the Tuscan Sun is one of my favorite movies, mostly because of the idea of just taking a trip somewhere and then end up buying a villa. Here is the drink that "Marcello's" family made and served at their beach table.

LIMONCELLO

WINE REVIEW

Forgive me for not updating per my usual, my IMAC has fallen ill, and is in for repair all the smart and saavy young computer wiz kids are perplexed! Please pray for my computer.
This is not one of my dads reviews but one of my own. I have been trying some of Sunset Magazines wine picks in the $10-$15 range and had a most pleasant experience when I found this wine on sale at Huckelberries ( our local groovy people market) I highly recommend that you try it.

CYCLES GLADIATOR: SYRAH 2009
I am not a big fan of red. Yes I am Italian and have been drinking the red table wine since I was a child, but never really could say....mmmmm thats good wine. When I opened this wine I was immediately struck by the fragrance, it was almost floral, Knowing that if a wine is named after a grape only if it is made up of at least 55% of that specific grape, Im thinking I really like that petit sirah. We served this wine with homemade bread and hummus and good company. The end result....perfecto!

I'M SPEECHLESS.....THANK YOU FOR THE LOVELIES...

Hello, We bumped into your blog and we really liked it - great recipes YUM YUM. We would like to add it to the Petitchef.com. We would be delighted if you could add your blog to Petitchef so that our users can, as us, enjoy your recipes. Petitchef is a french based Cooking recipes Portal. Several hundred Blogs are already members and benefit from their exposure on Petitchef.com. To add your site to the Petitchef family you can use http://en.petitchef.com/?obj=front&action=site_ajout_form or just go to Petitchef.com and click on "Add your site" Best regards, Vincent petitchef.com By vincent on GET YOUR GREEN ON on 3/16/11

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Party Idea!

From what appears to be a recurring article in a food magazine, unknown magazine, unknown date:

There's something particularly hospitable about a spontaneous( or seemingly spontaneous) invitation.

Suppose next Sunday morning as you leave church you meet someone you like but seldom  have a chance to visit with. Instead of the inevitable...We should get together sometime....wouldn't it be more fun to say...It's an hour or so before dinner , why don't you come home with us for a cool drink? The invitation is not as spur of the moment as it sounds, because earlier you prepared ORANGE JUICE BOWL and frosted glasses with lemon juice and sugar, and puteverything in the refrigerator to chill.  The drink makes a perfect appetizer for a big Sunday dinner and at the same time contributes valuable vitamin C.

If your guest marvel at the lightnIng speed with which refreshments are produced, you can confess graciously... "We were hoping that you would accept our invitation!"

ORANGE JUICE BOWL

Fill punch bowl or pitcher with orange juice. 1 sliced lemon and sugar to taste.

Chill thoroughly in freezer and serve with sprig of mint or fruits.

   

      or

COFFEE PUNCH

Combine 1 1/2 cups light cream, 

two cups hot strong coffee, 

and two cups heavy cream. 

Spoon 1 1/2 pints of vanilla ice cream on top,
stir to blend.  

Yields 2 quarts

ADD THIS TO THE LIST TOO, FROM http://citromhab.blogspot.com/2011/03/narancsos-poharkrem.html