DALLAS GARDEN BUZZ

Lakewood Elementary sent 157 children and 36 adults to our garden on Tuesday.

With super organization and passion, we were able to introduce the glories of gardening to each of these little students.

Students learned about pumpkin math, vermicomposting, growing vegetables and herbs, chickens, composting, and took home “seed balls” they constructed. Blooms begin next spring!

Each child is special to us.  Thank you, Lakewood Elementary, for sharing your first graders with the Master Gardeners at The Raincatcher’s Garden.

 

Ann

Pictures by Starla

Field Trip organization by Annette, Cynthia, Elizabeth, Lisa

Some of our regular volunteers had family/friends in need and were not able to be with us. You were missed, but we understand.  See you next time!

 

 

After the Field Trip we enjoyed lunch by Judy and Elizabeth and here are the requested recipes:

MINI POPPY SEED HAM SANDWICHES

Prep: 10 min Cook: 20 min Serves: 12 people

Ingredients:

24 slices of deli honey ham

6 Slices of swiss cheese, cut into fourths

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard

1/2 cup butter melted

1 tablespoon Onion Powder

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 packages (12 count) KING’S HAWAIIAN Original Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls

Preparation:

1. Cut rolls in half and spread mayo onto 1 side of the rolls. Place a slice or two of ham and slice of swiss cheese in roll. Replace the top of the rolls and bunch them closely together into a baking dish.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together poppy seeds, dijon mustard, melted butter, onion powder and worcestershire sauce.

3. Pour sauce over the rolls, just covering the tops. Cover with foil and let sit for 10 minutes.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for additional 2 minutes until tops are slightly browned and crisp. Serve warm.

 

BROCCOLI SLAW CHICKEN SALAD

1 rotisserie chicken- debone and shred. Set aside

Crunchies:

2 pkgs. chicken flavored ramen noodles crushed. Flavoring pkgs. set aside

3/4 cup a sliced almonds

1/2 cup sesame seeds

3 Tbsp. margarine

Sauté all in a shallow skillet, over med. heat, stirring until golden brown

Dressing:

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

2/3 cup sugar

In small pan combine both and bring to a boil stirring until sugar dissolves.

Add:

1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper

1 cup vegetable oil

2 flavor packets from ramen noodles

Refrigerate until ready to serve

Slaw Base

2 pkgs. broccoli slaw

8-10 green onions clean and thinly slice. Set aside

1 bell pepper chopped

Set aside

When ready to serve combine all four components in the needed amount making sure to shake/stir dressing. Reserve rest of ingredients separately because the crunchie parts will get too soggy. Enjoy!

Judy

FROSTED MOLASSES COOKIES

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

COOKIES:

1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter

1/3 cup (4 oz) molasses (Grandma’s)

2 ¼ cups (15 ¾ oz) sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground allspice

3 cups (12 ¾ oz) King Arthur Unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg

FROSTING:

¼ cup (1 ½ oz) meringue powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 to 4 cups (12 – 16 oz) glazing sugar or confectioners’ sugar

1/3 to ½ cup (2 5/8 to 4 oz) cool water

For the dough: Heat the butter, molasses, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over low heat, or in a bowl in the microwave, stirring until the butter melts and the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from the heat and stir in the spices.  Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Beat half the flour mixture into the melted butter mixture, then the egg.  Stir in the remaining flour mixture.  Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour until firm.

To Bake:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

Shape or scoop the dough into 1 ½” balls, a tablespoon cookie scoop works well here. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2” between.

Bake for 13 minutes; they’ll still look soft and won’t have changed color much. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on the pan before transferring to a rack to cool completely.  They’ll become crisp as they cool.

For the frosting: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add 1/3 cup of cool water and the vanilla, and stir or beat on slow speed.  The mixture will seem had and lumpy, but the sugar will dissolve after 4 or 5 minutes and everything will smooth out.  Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition, to achieve the consistency you desire.  For a smooth, shiny glaze, the icing should be the consistency of molasses.  For colored icing, add food coloring or coloring paste a drop at a time.  Use a pastry brush to paint the frosting over the tops of the cookies; you want some of the nice craggy cracks to show through.  Place on a rack for several hours to let the glaze harden and dry.

CARAMEL CHOCOLATE OATMEAL BARS

Yield: 32 cookies/bars

 

BASE:

2 ¼ cups (9 5/8 oz) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

2 cups (7 oz) old-fashioned rolled oats

1½ cups (11 ¼ oz) light brown sugar

½ tsp baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, soft

1 large egg

FILLING:

1 1/3 cups (14 oz) caramel (from jar)

1/3 (2 5/8 oz) milk

TOPPING

1 ½ cups (9 oz) semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips

1 cup (4 oz) chopped nuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease (or line with parchment) a 13” x 9”-inch pan.

For the base: In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix at low speed until combined.  Add the softened butter a chunk at a time with the mixer running.  (Butter must be soft.) Once all the butter is in, add the egg, mix, scrape the bowl, and mix for another 30 seconds.

Put half the mixture into the prepared pan. Spread it evenly in the pan, then cover with plastic and use the bottom of a loaf pan to press it into place.  Peel off the plastic and bake for 10 minutes, until set.

 

For the filling: Combine the caramel and milk and heat, stirring frequently, either in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave in several 2 minute intervals, stirring in between.

To finish: After you take the base out of the oven, sprinkle it with the chocolate chips and nuts.  Drizzle the caramel mixture over the chips and nuts, and sprinkle the remaining base mixture over the top.  Bake for 25-28 minutes, until the top is golden brown.  Remove from the oven and cool at least 30 minutes before cutting into bars.

Elizabeth