A banquet to celebrate and give thanks!

Every year we host a reception to give thanks to those who help support our camp through the Trinity Pines club.



We always try to find menu selections that are out of the ordinary. It would be easy to serve the same meal from year to year. It is always difficult to find that special meal that will make a mark.




We recently were given the opportunity to purchase round tables to use for banquets. Big thank you for a generous donation.






The dinner started with a salad of spring greens, strawberries, mandarin oranges, toasted almonds and a light vinaigrette.



Marinated grilled chicken topped with monterey jack cheese and a tomato salsa served with a medley of white rice, brown rice and orzo pasta.



Garbanzo bean tagine... a combination of beans, peppers, onions, stewed tomatoes and seasoned with salt, pepper, coriander and cinnamon. Even though this was not the planned vegetarian entree... it had a wonderful flavor. We had about five minutes to toss this entree together since our planned entree failed. I should not say failed... ultimately it worked with a few minor annoyances.



This is by far my favorite dessert that we have ever served here. Who new ice cream and pound cake could be so spectacular. The maple pound cake was indulgent on its own. Topped with a vanilla bean ice cream and maple pecan syrup is was over the top. (I know I previously stated that I do not like pecans. That has not changed... the syrup without the pecans was quite yummy.)

Enjoy!

Was it stepping out of our comfort zone?

Every year for Memorial Day weekend, a branch of the Armenian Youth Federation arrive for a weekend full of fun. This year our numbers topped 275 people in attendance!
We try to organize menus that meet the needs of each group individually. Remember, not everyone is the same! For the last four years... I have made typical everyday food... grilled cheese w/ tomato soup, fried chicken w/ pilaf, spaghetti & meatballs. Every year I get more and more frustrated at either how much food was not taken or the amount of food wasted.
Well, NOT this year! This year I organized a menu that catered to this group specifically! So, the question is did we have to step out of our comfort zone to prepare meals for this group...?????
After researching Armenian recipes, I visited The Armenian Kitchen. Robyn was a tremendous help. She has an extensive list of recipes, many with how to videos! Overall, I was concerned as to which recipes to choose. Imparticularly, I needed an inside scoop as to what Armenian children would eat. Robyn came through! A list of menu selections arrived via email.
Robyn passed on several ideas and recipes to help us on our way. What could have been a difficult menu to put together, was essentially simple. I encourage you to check out Robyn's blog. She really has put together a a great resource. I was able to adapt several of our current recipes to work with our menu selections.






Bokon bread






Zucchini &Eggplant Bake







Oregano & Coriander Roast Beef







Parsley & Oregano Potatoes w/ Lemon

By far this was a success. As each meal went out, my nerves calmed.
One thought I had over and over again was that some of our everyday foods are very similar to Armenian foods. I had to tweak a few of my own recipes / formulas, but overall everything that we incorporated into the menu were simple things.
Stop by http://thearmeniankitchen.com some time. Try something new!

So, the question remains... Did we have to step out of our comfort zone? Not at all! Because we strive to make home cooked meals (from scratch) everyday... this simply was just another day! With one main difference... We made a difference! What do you do to make a difference?

In my many thank you's to Robyn for her help on this project I let her know she made a difference for us. She did not have to. But she did! So, out there in this blogosphere world... we have a new friend. Stop on by and say hello!
The Armenian Kitchen">">

Enjoy!

Pancakes and Pecan Syrup

It was Open House last weekend. The menu as always was a pancake festival. Here at Lutherlyn we make our own Maple Syrup. Granted, I have the easy part. I just have to serve the syrup. There is another group of incredible individuals commited to using the Earth's bounty. (Thank you LEEP staff)
This year I was committed to keeping it basic. Emphasinzing some key components of the day... maple syrup, pecan syrup and berry syrup and of course the pancakes.
The menu included.... whole wheat pancakes, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, maple syrup, triple berry syrup, and pecan syrup. And of course fresh pineapple, cantaloupe and strawberries. We even set out blueberry muffins.
I wanted to share our pecan syrup today.

As with many items I don't have an exact recipe. You see, I strongly dislike pecans. So, this was really trial and error. I have made this syrup before, we coated cinnamon rolls with it.

In my first attempt, I used granulated sugar. In the second attempt, I used agave syrup. What a wonderful switch. If you have not used agave syrup, you need to know that it is 3 times sweeter than granulated sugar. I have used it as a subsitution in many recipes.
The agave sweetened pecan syrup was made with the following ingdients.
Butter - about a pound
Pecans - about 1 1/2 pounds
Maple Syrup - 4 cups
Agave syrup - 2 cups
Water 1/2 gallon
cornstarch - about 1 cup mixed with enough water to dilute the cornstarch
vanilla - to taste
salt - just a dash or two


Remember those blueberry muffins I mentioned earlier.....


Till the next time... Enjoy!