April in Atlanta promises to be a celebratory event! The Maine House is making plans to create the most festive garden party in honor of a birthday, a wedding anniversary and not one, but two family engagements! Our cup runneth over! The Atlanta peaches have designed a new deck and porch which should be completed in early spring so we thought this would be the perfect setting for our celebration. Miss M has always had a love for sunflowers so we have selected these for our "over the top" centerpieces. We are using deep grass greens and sunflower yellows and golds as our accent colors. The azaleas should be in bloom, along with the pear trees, redbuds, tulips, hydrangeas and dogwood trees. Rather than a traditional southern barbecue, Estelle's is creating light spring appetizers which are yummy, satisfying and simply beautiful on the tablescape!
A Maine House Mosaic
Gradually add mayonnaise to cream cheese which has been softened to room temperature. Mix until well blended. Stir in fruit, sugar and food coloring. Fold in marshmallows and whipped cream. Pour into a glass 9x5 inch loaf pan and cover with saran wrap. Freeze until firm. Unmold on serving platter to serve.
Arrange baguette slices on baking sheet. Stir together butter and garlic, brush evenly over tops of baguette slices. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10-12 minutes. Let stand 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine hard-boiled eggs and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes. Spoon egg mixture evenly on toasted baguette slices. Serve on silver tray adorned with cherry tomatoes and fresh Italian parsley!
Toast almonds. Place the chicken in a stock pot with 4 cups of water and boil, covered, until very tender and meat falls from the bones. Cool before removing all chicken from the skin and bones. Chop celery and combine with pickle relish and mayonnaise. Mix will with the chicken which has been shredded into fine little pieces. Add salt to taste. Add almonds and sliced white grapes. Spoon 2 T. chicken salad on the wide width of the crescent roll triangle. Starting at wide end, roll dough over the chicken salad and pinch the ends to seal. Place rolls seam side down. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 12 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately!
In a blender, combine bananas, sugar and 3 cups water. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and stir in pineapple juice. Blend in orange juice concentrate, lemonade concentrate and 3 cups water. Divide into 3 plastic containers and freeze until solid. Remove from freezer 3 to 4 hours before serving. Using one portion at a time, place slush in a punch bowl and pour in 1 liter of ginger ale for each.
This salad was a Gift Horse famous recipe. They served this frozen fruit salad often for celebration luncheons. We frequently drove over to Foley, Alabama for a day of shopping and lunching at The Gift Horse restaurant.
The Gift Horse Frozen Party Salad
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup apricots, chopped and drained
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, halved
2 T. powdered sugar
2 drops of red food coloring
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
Gradually add mayonnaise to cream cheese which has been softened to room temperature. Mix until well blended. Stir in fruit, sugar and food coloring. Fold in marshmallows and whipped cream. Pour into a glass 9x5 inch loaf pan and cover with saran wrap. Freeze until firm. Unmold on serving platter to serve.
Egg Salad Crostini's
1 20 ounce french bread baguette, thinly sliced
3 T. melted butter
1 garlic clove, pressed
8 large hard-boiled eggs, grated
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
Arrange baguette slices on baking sheet. Stir together butter and garlic, brush evenly over tops of baguette slices. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10-12 minutes. Let stand 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine hard-boiled eggs and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes. Spoon egg mixture evenly on toasted baguette slices. Serve on silver tray adorned with cherry tomatoes and fresh Italian parsley!
Estelle's Chicken Salad Crescent Rolls
2 8 ounce cans of refrigerated crescent rolls
1 whole chicken
4 cups water
1/2 cup sherry
1 t. salt
1 1/2 cups celery
3/4 cup pickle relish
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 cups white grapes
walnuts, pecans or pineapple chunks for garnish
Toast almonds. Place the chicken in a stock pot with 4 cups of water and boil, covered, until very tender and meat falls from the bones. Cool before removing all chicken from the skin and bones. Chop celery and combine with pickle relish and mayonnaise. Mix will with the chicken which has been shredded into fine little pieces. Add salt to taste. Add almonds and sliced white grapes. Spoon 2 T. chicken salad on the wide width of the crescent roll triangle. Starting at wide end, roll dough over the chicken salad and pinch the ends to seal. Place rolls seam side down. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 12 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately!
Estelle's Festive Banana Punch
4 ripe bananas
2 cups white sugar
3 cups water
1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans frozen orange juice concentrate
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
3 cups water
3 liters ginger ale
In a blender, combine bananas, sugar and 3 cups water. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and stir in pineapple juice. Blend in orange juice concentrate, lemonade concentrate and 3 cups water. Divide into 3 plastic containers and freeze until solid. Remove from freezer 3 to 4 hours before serving. Using one portion at a time, place slush in a punch bowl and pour in 1 liter of ginger ale for each.
"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose
I would always greet it in a garden."
- Ruth Stout
Beautiful, beautiful! Love the pictures! Hope all our plans come true!
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