A DAY TO CELEBRATE Welcome summer with this party featured in the June 204 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.
ENGAGEMENT PARTY INVITATIONS Here s how to get a woven look. Materials Ruler Crafts knife Cutting mat Three 6 8-inch 40-lb. watercolor pads (found at crafts stores) Pencil Plastic sheeting to cover work area Watercolor set Watercolor brushes Water cup 5 7-inch colored envelopes/plain card sets (found at crafts stores) Vellum (we had ours printed at an office supply store) Small-gauge copper wire Small hole punch Instructions. Use ruler, crafts knife, and cutting mat to trim watercolor sheets to 5 7 inches to create cards. 2. On back side of each card, measure in inch from a long side, mark lightly, and continue in increments of ½ inch, repeating six times. Last line should measure inch from the edge on the opposite side. 3. Use these marks to draw light, straight lines ½ inch from the top to ½ inch from the bottom. 7. Start at the top of a card and weave strip over and under cut slits; repeat down the length of the card. 8. Cut plain cards on the folded seams. 9. Layer a plain card and a woven card, then place vellum card on top. 0. Cut small pieces of copper wire, punch two small holes near the top of each invitation about ¼ inch apart, and secure with copper wire, bending wire flat on the back. 4. Use ruler and crafts knife to cut along these lines, creating slits in the paper; set aside. 5. Cover work surface with plastic sheeting. Lay out multiple pieces of watercolor paper, wash each sheet with colors of choice, and let dry. 6. After the painted sheets are dry, cut them into 4 ½-inch strips. (You ll need 0 strips per card.) (2 OF 8) Copyright 204, Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
BERRY-STAINED MUSLIN TREAT BAGS Send guests home with goodies in splatter-dyed bags. Materials Small muslin treat bags Plastic sheeting to cover work area Rubber gloves Two -quart glass jars Measuring spoons Liquid measuring cup Liquid Rit Dye - Petal Pink - Golden Yellow - Fuchsia Cardboard or foam-core board Round or flat (½- to -inch) paintbrush Instructions. Wash bags. Do not dry; leave damp for dyeing. 2. Cover work surface with plastic sheeting. 3. Put on rubber gloves to protect your hands from dyes. 4. In one jar make Peach color by mixing 4 Tbsp. Petal Pink, tsp. Golden Yellow, and 2 cups very hot tap water; stir. 5. In second jar make Berry color by mixing 2 Tbsp. Fuchsia, 2 Tbsp. Petal Pink, and cup very hot tap water; stir. 6. Cut cardboard into rectangles just small enough to fit inside the treat bags. This will prevent dye from leaking through. 9. Use brush to drip and/or slightly splatter dye. This can be done by holding brush over bag in one hand and using other to slightly tap the end of the brush. Do this on one side of the bags, creating a berry-stained look. 0. Let the dye dry to the touch, wipe work area of any excess dye, turn bags over, repeat on other side, and let dry.. Clean the brush and repeat with Berry color mix. 2. Let the bags dry completely. To set dye, iron both sides of each bag with hot steam iron, using a protective cloth under and on top of dyed bags. 3. Launder bags in cold water with mild detergent; press bags with iron. 7. Lay treat bags on plastic sheeting. 8. Dip the paintbrush in the Peach color mix, saturating bristles. (3 OF 8) Copyright 204, Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
DIP-DYED TABLECLOTH Save money and get a personal look by making your own table covering. Materials Plastic sheeting to cover work area Rubber gloves White cotton sheet large enough for table Stock pan or teapot Mixing bowl (this will get stained, so use something old) Measuring cup Liquid Rit Dye - Fuchsia - Petal Pink - Golden Yellow Salt 2 large plastic bin containers (these also might stain) Detergent Plastic or metal clamps Old spoon Instructions. Wash white sheet; do not dry. 2. Cover a work surface with plastic sheeting and put on rubber gloves. 3. Fold the damp sheet in half lengthwise and continue accordion-folding sections 0 to 2 inches wide, then fold in half in the other direction and set aside. 4. Heat gallon water to a slow boil. 5. For the first dye bath mixture, in bowl combine 4 oz. Fuchsia, 2 oz. Petal Pink, ½ cups salt, and 2 cups boiling water; stir. 6. Pour dye mixture into large plastic bin container; this needs to be deep enough to dip folded sheet at least 4 inches into the dye solution. 7. Add the remaining boiling water, 3½ gallons very hot tap water, and a dash of laundry detergent; stir all. 8. Heat another gallon of water to a slow boil. 9. For the second dye bath mixture, in bowl combine 4 oz. Petal Pink, 2 oz. Golden Yellow, ½ cups salt, and 2 cups boiling water; stir. 0. Repeat steps 6 and 7.. Take damp folded sheet and dip one long side 4 6 inches into the first dye bath to create first stripe. Leave in for up to 30 minutes, depending on how dark or light a stripe you want. (If leaving in for a longer time, the sheet can be clamped to the side of the plastic container. Make sure the dye is getting into the folds.) 2. Remove and wring out excess dye; do not unfold. Rinse in cold water until water runs clear. 3. Dipping undyed side of sheet, repeat steps and 2 in the second dye bath. 4. Unfold sheet and rinse again. 5. Launder sheet in cool water. Note there may be some bleeding of red-tone dyes. 6. Dry and press with protective cloth below and on top of sheet. (4 OF 8) Copyright 204, Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
WOVEN-COPPER TRAY INSERT Get a fresh, affordable look with on-trend copper. Materials Work gloves for handling copper Ruler 8 feet of 2-inch copper strapping (available at georgiacopper.com) Dry-erase marker Tin snips or sharp scissors 220-grit sandpaper Strong double-sided tape 2 2-inch tray (or make your own by painting a 2 2-inch art panel) Instructions. Put on work gloves. 2. Measure four -inch pieces of the copper strapping. Mark with dry-erase marker and cut; set aside. 3. Measure four 2-inch copper pieces. Mark with dry-erase marker and cut; set aside. 4. Use the 220-grit sandpaper to gently sand the sharp edges of each piece of copper. 5. On each 2-inch piece, measure in inch from one end and draw a line. Use the straight edge of the ruler and gently bend these -inch sections up. 6. To create outside frame of insert, lay the four pieces of 2-inch copper to create a square. One end of each piece should lie under the adjacent piece of copper. A small piece of double-sided tape between the copper pieces in the corners will help secure the copper framework. Flatten the -inch sections to the back side all around copper frame. Turn right side up. 7. On each -inch piece of copper, measure in inch on one side, mark with dry erase marker, and use the straight edge of the ruler to gently bend these -inch sections up. 8. Position the unmarked end of first -inch copper piece on the back side of the insert, approximately ½ inch from the outside piece, with the folded end crossing the front. Secure both ends with tape, fold -inch piece to the back side, and flatten. 9. Measure over from first -inch strip approximately ½ inch and repeat in reverse with another -inch piece. Four pieces at this point should be running parallel to one another, creating an overunder pattern on two of the outside edges opposite one another. This will create our warp, in which we will weave the other two copper pieces. 0. Weave third -inch strip approximately ½ inch from adjacent copper edge, secure on edges with tape, fold -inch piece to the back, and flatten. (5 OF 8). Repeat by weaving fourth piece approximately ½ inch from third piece, secure, and flatten -inch piece to the back. 2. Insert into tray. Copyright 204, Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
RECIPES Mushroom Quiche Bites We love to prepare this recipe in muffin cups to create easy grab-and-snack bites. prep 30 min. bake 5 min. 2 7.3-oz. package frozen puff pastry sheets ( sheet), thawed 4 slices bacon 2 cups sliced fresh stemmed shiitake, cremini, and/or button mushrooms 3 4 cup shredded Swiss cheese (3 oz.) 4 cup sliced green onions 2 eggs, lightly beaten 8-oz. carton sour cream. Preheat oven to 400 F. Coat twelve 2 2 -inch muffin cups with cooking spray; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry sheet to a 2 2-inch square. Cut into twelve 4 3-inch rectangles. Place each rectangle into a prepared muffin cup, pressing pastry up the edges. Prick bottoms of each with a fork. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from oven. Press centers down with back of a teaspoon. Set aside. 2. In a large skillet cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet, reserving Tbsp. of drippings in skillet; discard remaining drippings. Transfer bacon to paper towels; crumble. Set aside. 3. For filling, cook mushrooms in reserved bacon drippings until tender and liquid evaporates. In a medium bowl combine mushrooms, crumbled bacon, cheese, and green onions. Spoon bacon mixture into each pastry cup. In the same bowl whisk together eggs and sour cream. Pour over bacon mixture. 4. Bake 5 minutes or until set. Run a thin metal spatula around edge of each and remove from cups. Makes 2 servings. each serving 220 cal, 7 g fat, 52 mg chol, 42 mg sodium, g carb, 0 g fiber, 7 g pro. Fresh Tomato Tart prep 25 min. bake 30 min. 5-oz. package rolled refrigerated unbaked piecrust (2 crusts) 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz.) 2 cup mayonnaise 4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 4 cloves garlic, minced 8 small red and/or yellow tomatoes ( 2 lbs.), sliced. Preheat oven to 375 F. Unroll piecrusts according to package directions. On a lightly floured surface roll each pastry to an -inch circle. Transfer each to a parchment-lined baking sheet; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl combine 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and 8 tsp. pepper. Spread mixture evenly on pastries, leaving a 2-inch edge. 2. Pat tomato slices dry with paper towels. Arrange slices over cheese mixture on pastries. Fold pastry edges over tomatoes, pleating as necessary. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. 3. Bake 30 minutes or until pastry is golden. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into wedges before serving. Makes 6 servings. each serving 220 cal, 5 g fat, mg chol, 280 mg sodium, 6 g carb, g fiber, 4 g pro. (6 OF 8) Copyright 204, Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
RECIPES Lemon-Thyme Shortbread Cookies prep 25 min. bake 25 min. 3 4 cups all-purpose flour 2 cup powdered sugar 4 cup cornmeal tsp. fresh lemon thyme or thyme leaves, chopped tsp. finely shredded lemon peel 2 Tbsp. honey 3 4 cup butter. Preheat oven to 325ºF. In a large bowl stir together flour, powdered sugar, cornmeal, thyme, and lemon peel. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. of the honey; do not stir. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Knead dough until smooth; shape dough into a ball. 2. On an ungreased cookie sheet, pat mixture into a 9-inch square. Using a pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut into desired shapes, but do not separate. If desired, sprinkle shapes with coarse sugar. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until bottom starts to brown and center is set. Remove from the oven. While still warm, recut the shortbread into desired shapes. Cool shortbread completely on cookie sheet on a wire rack. If desired, drizzle a little honey over each cookie before serving and garnish with thyme sprigs. Makes 36 servings. To store Layer cookies between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. each serving 69 cal, 4 g fat, 0 mg chol, 34 mg sodium, 8 g carb, 0 g fiber, g pro. Lemon Meringue Tarts prep hr. bake 0 min. chill hr. Tart Shells 2 3 cup all-purpose flour 3 Tbsp. sugar tsp. finely shredded lemon peel 4 cup cold butter egg yolk, beaten Lemon Curd 3 cup sugar 2 tsp. cornstarch tsp. finely shredded lemon peel 4 cup lemon juice Tbsp. butter 2 egg yolks Meringue egg white 4 tsp. vanilla 8 tsp. cream of tartar 2 Tbsp. sugar. For Tart Shells, in a medium bowl stir together flour, sugar, and shredded lemon peel. Using a pastry blender, cut in cold butter until mixture is crumbly. Add egg yolk and Tbsp. water to flour mixture; stir with a fork to combine. Gently knead dough just until a ball forms. If necessary, cover with plastic wrap; chill 30 to 60 minutes or until easy to handle. 2. Preheat oven to 375 F. Divide chilled dough into 8 pieces. Press each piece onto bottom and up sides of a 3 4 -inch muffin cup. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until golden. Remove tart shells from muffin cups while warm. Cool completely on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F. 3. For Lemon Curd, in a small saucepan stir together sugar and cornstarch. Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. water, and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir about half of the mixture into egg yolks. Return mixture to saucepan. Return to heat. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Cover; keep warm. 4. For Meringue, in a medium bowl beat egg white, vanilla, and cream of tartar with electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 2 tsp. at a time, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. 5. To assemble, spoon about tsp. lemon curd into each baked crust. Top with a rounded teaspoon of meringue. Arrange tarts in a shallow baking pan. Bake 0 minutes or until golden. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cover; chill hour. Makes 8 servings. each serving 85 cal, 4 g fat, 39 mg chol, 33 mg sodium, g carb, 0 g fiber, g pro. (7 OF 8) Copyright 204, Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
RECIPES Berries and Cream Tart prep 30 min. bake 4 min. recipe Rich Tart Pastry, below 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened 2 cup orange marmalade 2 cups whipping cream 2 to 3 cups assorted fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and/or quartered strawberries). Preheat oven to 450 F. On a lightly floured surface roll pastry from center to edge into a 2-inch circle. Wrap pastry around rolling pin. Unroll into a 0 2-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Ease pastry into pan, being careful not to stretch. Press into fluted sides. Patch and pinch pastry back together as needed. Trim to edge of pan. Prick bottom and sides with a fork. Line with a double thickness of foil. Bake 8 minutes; remove foil. Bake 6 to 8 minutes more or until golden. Cool in pan on a wire rack. 2. For filling, in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and orange marmalade with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. While beating, gradually add whipping cream. Beat until mixture is light and fluffy. 3. Using the tip of a small sharp knife, gently loosen pastry from sides of pan. Remove from pan. Spoon filling into pastry. Cover and chill. Top with berries to serve. Makes 2 servings. Rich Tart Pasty In a medium bowl stir together 4 cups flour and 4 cup sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in 2 cup cold butter until pieces are pea-size. In a small bowl combine 2 lightly beaten egg yolks and Tbsp. ice water. Add egg yolk mixture to flour mixture, stirring with a fork until just moistened. Using your fingers, gently knead mixture until a ball forms. Cover and chill hour or until dough is easy to handle. each serving 352 cal, 26g fat, 3 mg chol, 49 mg sodium, 27 g carb, g fiber, 4 g pro. Lemon Thyme-Peach Lemonade start to finish 5 min. 3 4 to cup sugar 3 to 4 lemon thyme sprigs 4 cups cold water 2 cups lemon juice -oz. can peach nectar ( 2 cups) Lemon slices In a large pitcher combine the sugar and lemon thyme sprigs; muddle with a wooden spoon. Add water, lemon juice, and peach nectar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Cover and chill. To serve, stir in lemon slices and ice cubes. Makes 8 servings. each serving 5 cal, 0 g fat, 0 mg chol, 8 mg sodium, 3 g carb, g fiber, g pro. (8 OF 8) Copyright 204, Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.