Valentine Memories

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
 ⁸ Love never fails.  I Corinthians 13: 4-8a


Yes, I know that Valentine's Day is over but I wanted to share these recipes with you.  I have a special Valentine's Day memory of a romantic dinner with my husband.  We got all dressed up to go out but as a surprise I had already bought dinner and brought it home.  It was from the Sassafras Tea Room on Ingleside Ave.  We had salad, quiche and chocolate chip pie.  Please enjoy these recipes.

Basic Quiche Recipe
1 pie shell (Use frozen and prepare according to unfilled pie shell directions - Kroger brand is the best)
Quiche mixture
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of cream, 1/2 and 1/2 or milk
1/4 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
2 tbsp butter

Beat eggs and rest of ingredients.  Place butter in small dots around the top of quiche.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

Quiche Fillers
Cooked bacon, crumbles
Diced cooked ham
Diced cooked chicken
Diced cook steak

Broccoli
Squash, yellow or zuchinni
Onion
Tomato
Asparagus

Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Parmesan Cheese

You can mix and match any of your favorites in this recipe.  Use you imagination.  Once the pie shell has come out of the oven, put in your meat, veggies and cheese.  Pour egg mixture over the top.  Dot with butter and bake like above.

I like to make these for gifts and make a bunch at a time.  I use asparagus and tomatoes to decorate the top.  Put a tomato slice in the center and use the asparagus in a spoke pattern on the top.  They look very gourmet and orignial.

Sassafras Tea Room Chocolate Chip Pie
1 cup margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
4 beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups of chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
2 frozen pie shells

Mix all ingredients together well in a bowl.  Pour into 2 pie shells.  Bake at 350 degrees approximately 45 minutes.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

I like to make multiples of these recipes and sharing with friends.

Chocolate Raspberry Bars with White Chocolate and Almonds by Giada De Laurentis

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Butter and flour a 9 x 13 baking pan.  In a small saucepan, stir 2/3 cups of raspberry jam over low heat until pourable about 1 minute.

In a large bowl, blend together one box of Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie mix, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, and 1/4 cup of water and beat with an electric mixer for 1 minute on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan.  Spoon the melted jam over the top of the brownies. Using a spatula, swirl the jam into the brownie mixture.  Bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edge of the pan comes out clean.  Spread with 3/4 cup of melted white chocolate chips.  Srpinkle with  1/2 cup of salted chopped almonds.  Cool then cut and enjoy