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Chocolate Covered Bacon Makes 12 servings Ingredients 12 slices thick-cut bacon 12 wooden skewers 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Preheat oven to 400°F. Place baking rack on top of large baking sheet. Thread each slice of bacon on a skewer and place on baking rake. Bake for 20-25 minutes until bacon is crisp. Remove from oven and cool completely. Heat chocolate chips and oil in microwave stirring every 20 seconds until mixture is smooth. Using pastry brush paint each side of bacon halfway (or dip bacon in chocolate to coat halfway). Place coated bacon on wax paper and refrigerate until firm, about 25 minutes.52 Spring 2016
Chocolate Martini Cosmopolitan CocktailMakes 1 serving Makes 1 servingIngredients Ingredients4 ounces chocolate liqueur 1 ounce vodka2 ounces vanilla vodka 1/4 ounce triple sec1/2 ounce half and half 1/4 ounce lime juiceChocolate syrup (if desired) 1/2 ounce cranberry juiceShake first three ingredients over ice and strain Shake all ingredients over ice and strain intointo martini glass. Garnish with shaved chocolate. martini glass. Garnish with an orange peel or lime wedge. 53www.youreinvitedmag.com
Photography by Gruen Photography Parties and Celebrations 54 Spring 2016
Little Critters Lunch 55www.youreinvitedmag.com
Have lot of activities for your little critters to enjoy, such as stickers, coloring books, and crayons.Macaroni and Cheese Bites Mini Corn Dog MuffinsMakes 4 servings Makes 4 servingsIngredients Ingredients1 pkg Kraft Macaroni and Cheese®, prepared as 1 box Jiffy cornbread mixdirected 1 1/2 tablespoons honey1 cup + 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 eggBread crumbs 1/3 cup milk 3 hot dogsPreheat oven to 350°F. Spray mini muffin panwith non-stick cooking spray. Stir 1 cup cheddar Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray mini muffin pancheese into prepared Kraft Macaroni and Cheese® with non-stick cooking spray. In large bowl mixuntil melted. Fill muffin cups with mixture using cornbread mix, honey, egg and milk until batter ismuffin scoop or spoon. Sprinkle additional cheese smooth with no lumps. Cut hot dogs into 4and bread crumbs over top. Bake for 15 minutes. pieces. Place 1 hot dog piece into each muffinLet cool about 15 minutes before removing from cup. Spoon batter over each hot dog untilpan to allow cheese to set. Serve immediately. covered. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool about 7 minutes before removing from pan.56 Spring 2016
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Serve with red or green grapes.58 Spring 2016
Critter Cakes Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder,Makes 16 servings baking soda and salt into mixing bowl. In separate bowl, whisk together butter, sour cream,Ingredients eggs and vanilla until blended. Add butter2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour mixture to dry ingredients a little at a time blend-2 cups sugar ing after each addition until all dry and wet are2 teaspoons baking powder combined. Beat for 1 additional minute. Fill each3/4 teaspoons baking soda critter in pan to 1/2 inch from top. Tap pan on1 teaspoon kosher salt counter to release air bubbles and settle batter2 sticks unsalted butter, melted into all crevices. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until1 cup sour cream toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.4 eggs Let cool about 15 minutes before removing from1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract pan. Cool cakes on rack for at least 1 hour beforeVarious icings, gels, colored sugar and sprinkles decorating. Use various icings, gels, coloredfor decorations sugars and sprinkles to decorate.1 Critter Pan*Have all ingredients at room temperature (very *We used the Backyard Bugs Cakelet Pan from William Sonoma®.important). 59www.youreinvitedmag.com
Catching Butterflies60 Spring 2016
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Around the WorldSt. Patrick’s Day By Kathleen R. McKissickI bid you a Céad Míle Fáilte, Mná and Fir…or, sausage, fried eggs, fried tomatoes, and black and white pudding.for you non-Irish folk, “A Hundred Thousand Welcomes,Ladies and Gents!” This may come as a surprise, but up until the 1970s Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on St. Patrick’sOn March 17th each year, we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Day. Since the mid-1990s, the Irish governmentIn Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day became their only national established a national campaign to use the new foundholiday in 1903. It has always been a Holy day and interest in St. Patrick’s Day to drive tourism andusually celebrated starting with attending church to pay showcase Ireland and Irish culture to the rest of therespect to Ireland’s patron saint. During these recent world. Today, approximately one million peopleyears, the day has become more cultural and consists of annually take part in Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Festival inmany parades and celebrations. Though it falls during Dublin, a multi-day celebration featuring parades,the Christian season of Lent, prohibitions against the concerts, outdoor theater productions and fireworksconsumption of alcohol and meat were waived by the shows. The Irish are very proud of their country,church so people could drink and feast…on the throughout the land you can hear “Éirinn Go Brách”traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage. The (Ireland Forever)!consumption of corned beef and cabbage by the Irishdidn’t start until they migrated to the United States!Many celebrations also include an Irish breakfast of © Stuart Monk | Dreamstime.com - St Patrick's Day62 Spring 2016
Irish Blessing May the road rise to meet you,may the wind be always at your back,may the sun shine warm upon your face, the rain fall soft upon your fields,and, until we meet again…may God hold you in the palm of His hand.”In the United States, it’s a day for “wearing of the States. Annual St. Patrick’s Day parades became agreen,” parades, Irish dancing, and partaking of fine show of strength for Irish Americans, as well as aIrish cuisine. While it is not a U.S. government must-attend event for a slew of political candidates. Inholiday, many places go all out to celebrate. I’m sure 1948, President Harry S. Truman attended New Yorkyou’ve seen how Chicago, Illinois colors the Chicago City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, a proud moment forRiver green (the practice started in 1962), even the the many Irish-Americans.White House fountain is also dyed green, and the topof the Empire State building in New York is lit with So you see, Irish-Americans and the United States aregreen lights. Did you know that many of the Irish credited with turning St. Patrick’s Day into the greatimmigrants worked on the construction of the Empire cultural phenomenon it is known for today. Of course,State building when it started on St. Patrick’s Day in smaller ways of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day1930? Though Irish people were responsible for throughout the United States include: pubs and barsthrowing the first-ever documented St. Patrick's Day serve green beer and have plenty of Irish Whisky onparade, did you know it wasn’t held in Ireland? The hand; many eateries have green-colored food itemsfirst parade was actually in Boston, Massachusetts in and some serve either Irish stew or corned beef and1737 (organized by the Charitable Irish Society of cabbage with a side of Irish soda bread; people,Boston) and New York City held their first St. Patrick’s whether Irish or not, wear green in celebration of or inDay parade in 1762 (started by a group of Irish fear of being pinched; and homes, offices, schools, andsoldiers in the British military; a true marchers parade stores decorate using shamrocks, leprechauns, pots ofas it doesn’t allow floats, automobiles or other gold, and the “Tri-Color” (Ireland’s national flag). Oncommercial aspects). In 1848, several New York City this day, though not a typical saying in Ireland, peopleIrish Aid societies decided to unite their parades to usually greet one another with “Top ‘O the Morning!”form one official St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Today, thatparade is the world’s oldest civilian parade and the No matter if you’re full Irish or just a wee-bit, may yourlargest in the United States, drawing more than one day be touched with a bit of Irish luck! Have a Happymillion spectators. Besides parades in Philadelphia, St. Patrick’s Day or as they say inNew Orleans, and Savannah, now there are parades Ireland...Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh (St.and celebrations in many cities throughout the United Patrick's Day blessing upon you)!¨ 63www.youreinvitedmag.com
64 Spring 2016 © Can Stock Photo Inc. / DarioVuksanovic
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