Swapping Baking Stress For Sweet Success And Memories

Tag : mustard leaf
King's Hawaiian (ARA) - With the advent of the holiday season,spirited mothers everywhere are faced with a cornucopia of seasonaltasks, from shopping and wrapping to decorating and, perhaps themost time-intensive project of them all, holiday baking. Often atireless effort to benefit friends and family, holiday baking --with a little creativity -- can become the highlight of yourseason.

King's Hawaiian has developed a batch of tips and recipes to makethis annual project a heartfelt endeavor (for friends, family andyou), while creating lasting memories and reviving traditions ofyesteryear.

Make It An Event
Harken the kitchen traditions of generations past by invitingfellow mothers and their children to your home for a "bakingworkout," where moms tackle this culinary task with the communityof friends, stories and laughter. Here are some tips to consider:

* Dabble with Dough -- Ask each mom to bring pre-prepared dough toyour kitchen gathering. This avoids mess and multiple dough recipesneeding prep space, time and individual mixers. In your invitation,encourage creativity by asking attendees to bring family cookierecipes, as recipe swapping can become a memorable result of theday.

* Remember Tools of the Trade -- Make sure that each guest bringstheir own cookie sheets and plastic containers for finishedcreations. As host, offer to provide all other decorativeaccoutrements.

* Bring a 'Bit of Balance' -- Serve an easy, kid-friendly lunch toguests. Encourage healthy eating habits by telling children theyneed to "finish their lunch before the cookie decorating begins."Using the Internet, seek out lunch recipes that are easy toprepare, from sites such as KingsHawaiian.com.

* Foster the Festivity -- Set the tone with holiday music andintroduce new friends by discussing favorite holiday activities ora childhood holiday memory.

* Keep things 'Spirited' -- Provide champagne, wine or otherlibations for your grown-up guests to provide for a relaxedatmosphere.

To provide for full-tummies with the younger guests, King'sHawaiian's Ke'iki Club sandwich is great for "little hands" withbig appetites! And, for the moms, a fresh approach to a quick-fixstarter is the Panzanella Salad.

Ke'iki Club Sandwich (or "Kid's Club")
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. thinly sliced deli ham, turkey or roast beef
1 Roma tomato, sliced 1/4-inch thick, seeded
1 tsp. mayo or mustard (if preferred)
2 leaves romaine lettuce
2 King's Hawaiian Snacker Rolls (or four dinner rolls -- break offrolls in pairs of two, if the latter)

Directions:

1. Lay one lettuce leaf on each roll (this protects the bottom halfof the roll from absorbing moisture).
2. Place two to three slices of deli meat on each roll (folding tomatch the shape of the bread). Place two to three tomato slicesatop the meat.
3. If preferred, evenly spread mayo or mustard on the top half ofeach roll. Hint: To add calcium to the sandwiches, use a slice ofSwiss or American cheese.
4. Make a platter of sandwiches before guests arrive. Cover entireplatter with plastic wrap so sandwiches are fresh at mealtime andrefrigerate. Offer fresh cut fruit as a side dish.
Makes two sandwiches (one serving, depending on appetite).

Panzanella Salad

Ingredients:

2 slices of King's Hawaiian Bread
2 oz. fresh vine ripened tomatoes, diced and seeded into 3/4-inchcubes
2 oz. cucumbers seeded and diced into 3/4-inch cubes
2 oz. red and yellow peppers diced into 3/4-inch cubes
1 oz. pitted Kalamata or Nicoise olives
1 oz. julienne red onions
2 oz. shaved parmesan cheese
2 oz. balsamic vinaigrette
A few leaves of Bibb lettuce for salad base

Directions:

1. Cut King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread slices into 1-inch cubes andtoast them in an over at 325 degrees F, to light golden brown.
2. Toss together first seven ingredients; place on top of Bibblettuce.
3. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.

Makes 1 serving
For more tips, recipes and ideas for year-round aloha, visitKingsHawaiian.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent