Valentines Day = Generosity Day

Panhellenic Cookies for 2012

Every year I bake cookies for the Tallahassee Alumnae Panhellenic Scholarship Luncheon Silent Auction. This year's turned out really cute. I used a new technique that worked well - instead of royal icing I bought white fondant. It's icing that you roll out instead of spreading on. After rolling it out, I used the same cookie cutters I used to make the cookies which gave the icing a nice perfect edge.

I wrote on them using Foodwriter markers - easy!

The fondant is easy to tint with food color - I used plain white and pink for the hearts and colored some yellow for the lyres.

Last year, I made Greek letter cookies and had trouble with them being fragile so I switched doughs for this year (from White Velvet Cutouts to Cut Butter Cookies) and then I couldn't find the letter cutters. I know the fondant icing will work great on them - next year? or next Panhellenic event? Hearts were great for this event since it's almost Valentine's Day. 

(See also 2011 and 2010 and 2009 cookies... that's as far back as the blog goes, not the baking!)

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This Week's Veggies and Fruit

A little late with this week's picture but here are this week's veggies and fruit

broccoli and purple cabbage, tangerines (Royal Mandarin Temple variety - overgrown tangerines - delicious), sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, a head of Romaine lettuce and salad mix. 

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AXO Texas Exec Retreat Preview

I'm spending Friday - Sunday in Arlington, Texas, with collegiate officers and advisors from the 13 Alpha Chi Omega chapters in Texas.

Crown Plaza Suites Arlington

I like any hotel that has trees indoors! I'm a 'special guest' for the Texas Exec Retreat, which is a weekend for all the new chapter officers to learn more about their positions and enjoy the society of their sisters from around the state. I'll be presenting on Panhellenic issues and Recruitment, and meeting with most of the chapters individually, between Friday evening and Sunday mid-afternoon. I'll post a report next week!

Rice Pudding

An old family favorite, this recipe comes from my Mom and is traditionally made with leftover white rice.

2 well beaten eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk, scalded
1 1/4 cups cooked rice, cooled
1 cup seedless raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash cinnamon
dash nutmeg

Combine eggs, sugar and salt.
Gradually add scalded milk. Add rice, raisins, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.

a double batch, in the water bath

Pour into a greased 1 quart casserole dish. Set in shallow pan. Pour hot water into pan one inch deep (making a water bath for the pudding). Bake in slow oven (325) for 90 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings.