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Archive for the ‘Desserts’ Category

Chocolate Coconut Bars

Posted in Desserts, Easy Recipes, Holiday Recipes, tagged , , , on February 5, 2010| 1 Comment »

I love coconut almost as much as I do chocolate, so I was practically giddy when I came across this recipe. These yummy bar cookies are so good and can be cut into shapes or squares. A heart-shaped cookie cutter is perfect for Valentine’s Day treats!

Chocolate Coconut Bars

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup plus 2 tbsp melted butter, divided

2 1/4 cups light brown sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large micro-wave safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, sweetened condenses milk and 2 tbsps. of butter. Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes or until chips are melted. Stir well – and do not over cook!

In a separate bowl, combine remaining butter with eggs, sugar, flour, pecans, coconut, salt and vanilla extract.

Spread approximately half of the dough on an ungreased 15×10 jelly roll pan. Drizzle the chocolate mixture over the dough then drop spoonfuls of the remaining dough over the chocolate. Drag the tip of a knife through the dough and chocolate to create a swirl pattern.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Use a heart-shaped cutter to create a plate full of delicious hearts!

Happy Entertaining!

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Please RSVP

Posted in Desserts, entertain, Entertaining at Home, tagged , , , on September 1, 2009| 2 Comments »

invitationHave you ever received an invitation that asked you to RSVP and you:

1).  Ignored it.

2). Forgot about it.

3). Had every intention of calling the host but didn’t get around to it.

I think we have all been guilty of one of the above at some point in time. However good the intentions, the fact of the matter is when we are invited to an event and the host asks for us to RSVP and we don’t respond we cause all sorts of problems for the host and become one of those guests.

RSVP, Répondez s’il vous plaît, is a French term with a variety of definitions, but the most common is “please reply.”  That is what the host really wants – for the invited guests to please reply. I’ve seen hosts try everything from “Please RSVP” to “please call me with a yes or no” to try and get an idea of who will be attending their event.

Let’s walk through a scenario: you have decided to host a casual dinner party. You send out 20 invitations with “Please RSVP” two weeks before the event and get three  immediate responses. You send out an email reminder a week before the event and get two more responses. Two days before the party you make reminder phone calls to those you haven’t heard from and get one more response and leave a bunch of messages that get no return calls. So of those 20 invitations you only have six responses. How much food should you prepare? How many chairs should you have ready? How much service ware and table ware is needed? Hard to figure out, isn’t it?

When someone invites you into their home, it is truly a compliment. They are offering you a very special gift: of their time, of their food, of their home and their hospitality. It is our duty as recipients of that invitation to let the host know as soon as possible if we will or won’t be attending. If you are unsure due to a hectic schedule, tell the host up front. Then if your schedule works that you can attend, give her a quick call to say “I’ll be there.”

Hosts would rather hear your “no” or “maybe” than not hear from you at all. The next time you receive an invitation, be a good guest and respect the gift the host is extending to you. Whether you accept the gift or not, be courteous, say “Thank you for the invitation” and let her know your plans for attending.

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Easy Lemon Tarts

Posted in Desserts, Easy Recipes, Fast Recipes, tagged , , on August 21, 2009| 1 Comment »

lemon-tartsA really easy and tasty dessert that can be thrown together in a jiffy for last minute entertaining is this recipe for lemon tarts. Great anytime, they are  especially tasty on these hot summer days.

Easy Lemon Tarts

1 small box lemon pudding

whipping cream, whipped

2 packages frozen mini phyllo shells

Make the pudding according to package directions. I prefer the flavor and texture of cooked pudding, but if you are really in a hurry, use instant. Once the pudding is made, chill. The phyllo shells I purchase have 15 in a box and two boxes comes out proportionately to the pudding. You can let the shells thaw  and then fill or you can put them into the oven for a few minutes to make them crispy. Fill the shells with the chilled pudding. Put on a dollop of whipped cream (if you are in a big hurry, use Reddi-Whip or frozen dairy topping) then finish off with a fresh raspberry.

Although very simple and easy to make, these little tarts look like you invested a lot of time in them.

Enjoy!

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Set an Entertaining Timeline

Posted in Desserts, Entertaining at Home, Quick and Easy, tagged , , on June 23, 2009| 2 Comments »

You’ve taken the plunge, set a date for a party, invited guests and are getting ready for the event. Take a few minutes to create a timeline. It will save you a lot of time and frustration and help you from looking frazzled in front of your guests.
Start by writing down your menu. In detail. What foods can be purchased and made ahead of time? What needs to be purchased and made the day before? The day of the party? What decorations will be needed? Will you be making any decorations or will you be shopping for them? When will you do this? Where will the centerpieces come from? What cleaning tasks need to be accomplished?
Get it all down on paper and then divide the menu, cleaning and decorating tasks into specific steps for at least the seven days leading up to your party. When you break it into set tasks, entertaining can be very simple.
You absolutely do not need to do everything yourself. Children are great helpers. They can certainly roll silverware in napkins, create welcome signs, tie ribbons, make place cards. They can serve as door greeters, coat takers and a very enthusiastic welcome committee to guests.
Find the barbecue king and ask him to man the grill. Aunt Bev would be thrilled to bring her favorite salad – so let her. Look for ways to involve others while lightening your load. If friends volunteer to help, let them! And should anyone volunteer to stay and help clean up, accept their generous offer and send them home with a doggie bag as thanks for their efforts.
I’d love to hear any ideas you have for getting family members involved in the party prep process. Share your comments here!

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