Easter Snack Table

Welcome to my Easter Snack table at Red Couch Recipes.  I have been so inspired by the royal icing cookies by Sue, Munchkin Munchies, and by many other bloggers!  Yesterday I worked on some Easter Egg cookies which are on my table today.  I have lots to learn and it was so much fun!  I loved Sue's No Fail Sugar cookie recipe with the royal icing.

Snack sets s are reminiscent of another era.  Many wedding reception meals were served on these sets.  My mother had an Asian set that I loved.  One afternoon I came home from school and my eldest sister Jean served homemade cinnamon rolls of them -- such a warm, and yummy, memory.

Another view of my cookies

I love white napkins.  They are so lovely on a table.

Quax appears again, en cloche, as the PEEKING (Peking) DUCK.  He's cute but he really doesn't taste very good!  We tried him last year.  He's a rather waxy chocolate.

Another shot of my Easter Snack Table.  We are HUGE milk drinkers and cookies just seem to slide down better with milk.

Who says tea pots are just for tea?  Milk is just perfect in them too.

Prom Cupcake Invitation

Just a little extra tidbit.  This is the super huge cupcake that my son took and door bell ditched to the girl who he is asking to Prom.  Inside the cupcake he put on a piece of paper, in a Ziploc bag, who was asking.  It's a vanilla cupcake with lemon curd filling and a lemon curd icing. 

Mock Meat Loaf for April Fool's Day

April Fool's Day is Friday!  For years I have been doing something sneaky to surprise my children on April Fool's Day.  Last year the Mock Sushi at the head of my post was a bit hit with my kids and it did fool them for a moment and it is delicious and such a simple treat to make! 

This year I made Mock Meatloaf  with a bit of ketchup on the side; I am saving it for a special someone to fool; I have the perfect victim in mind!  It is also simple, delicious and inexpensive (about $3.00) to make.

Mock Meatloaf Recipe

Adapted from a Family Fun Magazine recipe.

12 cup chocolate rice cereal -- I used Cocoa Puffs.

2 - 10 ounce package marshmallows

6 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Prepare bread loaf pan by putting butter on sides of pan.  Crush cereal in food processor for a moment; don't make the cereal into a flour -- just about half it's normal size.  If you don't have a food processor, put cereal in bag and crush with a rolling pin.  Set aside and place in large mixing bowl.  Melt butter in large sauce pan on medium heat; add cocoa powder and mix well.  Then add marshmallows and stir until marshmallows are completely melted.  Take marshmallow mixture off heat and pour in crushed chocolate rice cereal.  At this point, you could add chopped yellow gummy worms for onions, chopped red gummy worms for red peppers or tomatoes.  I didn't add any gummy worms; my kids would think they are real and wouldn't want to eat the meat loaf!!  Mix well and form in bread pan.  Let sit for 30 minutes before serving.  Cut with a serrated knife. 

Note:  If you have a small bread loaf pan, you can cut the recipe in half.

Fool Someone you love with Mock Meat Loaf or Mock Sushi on April Fool's Day!

Posted with the following;  Made By You Monday, Tuesdays at the Table, Feature Yourself Friday, I'm Lovn' It

Nacho Popcorn

Hi everyone and welcome to Red Couch Recipes!  Almost everyone loves popcorn, whether sweet or savory.  I love this Nacho popcorn.  It is easy to make and most likely you will have all the ingredients that you need right in your pantry.

This was featured in my Popcorn and a Movie Tablescape on Wednesday.

In a simpler time, when I was a child, a real treat was popcorn and Kool-Aid on a weekend night.  We would pop the corn in a stock pot on the stove with some oil.  This recipe ramps up the popcorn treat idea just a bit by adding yummy Parmesan cheese and spices -- it would make a great weekend treat.

Recipe for Nacho Popcorn
Adapted from a Taste of Home recipe by Linda Boehme, Fairmont, Minnesota

5 quarts air-popped popcorn --I used 6 quarts and I think it would still be good if you had as much as 8 quarts of popcorn.

1/2 cup melted butter

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese -- the kind in the green canister

2 tablespoons parsley flakes

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

6-10 drops of liquid hot sauce -- I used Frank's Hot Sauce.

Pop popcorn in an air popper machine. Set aside. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan and add the Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, and hot sauce. Mix together and drizzle on popcorn. With two large serving spoons toss popcorn until the seasoned butter covers the popcorn well.

Note: If you are using microwave popcorn, you could try to add less butter.  We liked it best eaten right away, but I am always a fan of stale popcorn.

Make some Nacho Popcorn this weekend!

Posted with the following:

Weekend Wrapup, Link Party Monday, Made By You Monday