Easy Holiday Sparkle
Mae Candelori serves desserts that are typically served
in Italy during the holidays.
The program included table setting displays and ideas to
use fresh lemons to create a magnificent centerpiece.
Bow*, gold and antique spray paints combined with
greejrwry and other fruits offer endless possibilities acccrd-
Ing to Mary Haldeman, Sycamore Springs.
Create Elegant,
(Continued from Page B 2)
Classic Tiramisu
6 egg yolks
I'A cups mascaipone cheese
1% cups whipping cream
2 3-ounce packages of ladyfin
gers or 24 strips sponge cake
'h cup coffee liqueur or expresso
sauce
In a small mixer bowl, beat egg
yolks until thick and lemon col
ored, about one minute. Place on
top of a double boiler over boiling
water. Reduce heat to low and cook
8-10 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat
Add mascaipone cheese, beat
ing well. In small mixer bowl, beat
cream until thick peaks form. Fold
into egg yolk mixture; set aside.
Line bottom and side of 2'h - to
3-quart glass bowl with ladyfin
gers halve, split side up. Brush with
expresso sauce. Spoon half the egg
yolk cream over lady fingers.
Repeat the layers. Garnish with
sweetened whipped cream and
grated semi-sweet chocolate or
unsweetened cocoa powder. Cover
and refrigerate several hours or
overnight Serves 10-12.
Expresso Sauce: Combine 1
tablespoon hot water with 2 tea
spoons instant coffee granules in
small bowl. Stir until coffee is dis
solved. Blend in '/< cup coffee liq
uer and 'h teaspoon vanilla.
Mushroom ‘Caviar’ Dip
2 pounds fresh mushrooms,
finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
3 /< cup finely chopped onion
IVi teaspoons paprika
'U teaspoon salt (optional)
Dash black pepper
'fi cup sour cream
V* cup chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chives or parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
In a large skillet, melt butter,
saute onions for 2 minutes, stir in
paprika (hen add mushrooms, and
saute 5 minutes. Add lemon juice,
salt, and pepper. Stir in sour cream
and dill. Cook only to heat through.
Serve warm (can use small crock
pot). Sprinkle with chives or pars
ley. Use as a dip with crackers or
breads. Yields: 2 cups.
Italian Wedding Soup
4 pounds chicken
2 or 3 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, diced
1 cup cooked endive
4 hard-boiled eggs
10-12 meatballs
'A cup pastina
Salt and pepper to taste
Wash and cut chicken in 4
pieces. Put in a large pot with water
to boil. Skim thoroughly. Add salt
and pepper to taste. Add celery and
onions; cook for 2 hours. Add tiny
meatballs and cook another hour.
Remove chicken if done. Shred
chicken and add to soup. Add
cooked endive, cooked pastina,
and chopped hard-cooked eggs.
Simmer 10-15 minutes. Serve with
Italian grated cheese.
Meatballs for soup:
1 pound ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch pepper
'A teaspoon garlic powder or 1
clove garlic minced
'A cup cheese, grated
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Mix all ingredients together.
Makes approximately IS large or
24 small meatballs. Serves 8.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 18, 1999-B3
Family Living
Focus
Nancy Wiker
Lancaster Co.
Extension Agent
The Magic of Manners
When you are in the car, on
the way to Grandma’s house is
not the time to begin teaching
children the manners they will
need for the family gathering
You may wish you could wave a
magic wand, say the magic
words and pull the good man
ners out of a hat
Good manners make the
occasion run smoothly They
help others feel good and help
you to be a nice person Manners
are customs that have become
part of our cultural rules There
may be different rules for differ
ent occasions. Customs vary
from family to family in our
increasingly diverse population
You and your child may be invit
ed to a special occasion where
different manners are observed
Some background in the treat
ment of others is helpful when
dealing with new situations
Manners are expressions of
respect for the feelings and
needs of others Learning them
takes time Most children need a
little help along the way Special
events often involve different
foods, strange surroundings, and
new people Somehow when the
occasion is special, we want
behavior to be special as well
The inexperienced child cannot
just pull good manners out of a
hat.
Children are natural copy
cats They learn more from what
they observe than what you say
Model the behavior you want
your children to imitate. They
are more apt to accept manners
if parents are consistent in
expecting them.
Give children a chance to
practice their manners. Through
repetition children develop con
fidence to deal effectively with
others. Eat regular meals
together.
Provide opportunities to
practice by eating foods such as
corn on the cob or tacos
When you attend a special
occasion with your family, there
are likely to be people there your
child has never met
Awkwardness when meeting
grown-ups is one of the most
common etiquette problems
Teach children to introduce
themselves: use eye contact,
extend a hand and say, “Nice to
meet you.”
Model listening skills and
your child will learn to be a good
listener. Turn off the TV during
dinner and turn on the answer
ing machine. Practice taking
turns listening and speaking.
One skill at a time is enough.
Begin with the skills you feel are
the most important. Gradually
introduce new practices.
Sometimes children make
mistakes. Anticipate situations
and practice beforehand
Knowing what to expect will
help put your child at ease and
give him or her confidence
Help children learn what to
do when an accident happens at
the table or in public
Learn to make apologies If
the child makes a real faux pas,
explanations and chastisements
can be given after the event at
home Resist the temptation to
scold a child who has been bru
tally frank, even though the
child has embarrassed you A
forced apology is meaningless.
Simply indicate, without rancor,
what behavior you prefer and
expect the next time the situa
tion occurs
Write or say thank you for
gifts or kindnesses Children can
make their own notes and send
them Role play telephone con
versations to thank individuals
for their help If she receives a
gift that she doesn’t like or
want, teach her to say some
thing nice about the person giv
ing it
Know what to expect from
children at different ages
Take advantage of a babys
natural instinct to mimic b\
encouraging him to imitate vou
when you say, “oops” “Excuse
meI’' 1 ’' or wave bye-bye
About age 2, your child can
begin to appreciate the kindness
of others and begin to get the
idea of caring and sharing
Model the “thank you” when
your child has done something
nice for you
By age 3-5 children are ready
for more complex tasks. Follow
up teaching about good manners
with books
Let school-age children know
what you expect This age
responds well to rules You will
not always be there to remind
them to be a good sport or be
polite. Set an example with
thoughtful gestures of your own.
Remember that children of all
ages do not want to be embar
rassed
Preteens are able to hold a
conversation and have a good
grasp of table manners They
can handle sticky situations
with some grace Show the same
respect and courtesy to these
preteens as you expect them to
show others
Teens really do care about
manners, but politeness may be
seen as “uncool ” They are trying
on a new code of manners, one
that reflects the need to ally
with peers. Teenagers hate being
embarrassed. Knowing social
graces will come in handy, espe
cially the first time he is invited
to her house for dinneri
Even though you cannot pull
good manners out of *
can foster the skills. Kpepltpos*
itive, fun .and watchd&e magi*
happen.