Sunset at the Port City

Short side story: was driving back from family's house on 211... distracted talking on my phone and before I knew it, I was in Southport. Nice little 1.5 hour detour in holiday traffic. I was hoping to leave relatively early so I could get pictures of some old farmhouses on 211 but the sun had set too far and the lighting was a mess.

As luck would have it, I crossed the bridge to Wilmington right as the sun was setting. I shot some great pictures on the dock behind our class room. Maybe some things happen for a reason ?

Mushroom Logs

Yield: 4 dozen

Ingredients:

• 2-8oz cans Crescent Dinner Rolls
• 1-8oz pkg of cream cheese, softened
• 1-4oz can of mushroom stems and pieces- drained and chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1egg, beaten
• poppy seeds optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Separate crescent dough into 8 rectangles, press perforations to seal (do not separate dough into triangles). Don’t let dough get too warm.

Mix together cream cheese, mushrooms, and salt.

Spread mushroom mixture into equal portions over each rectangle.

Starting lengthwise, roll up jelly fashion, pinch seam to seal.

Slice logs into 1 inch pieces. Pinch seams again to seal.

Place seam side down on ungreased cookie sheet.

Brush each log with beaten egg, sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.

Cook for 10-12 min

- MOM

Grandma Simmons (Alice) Best Fudge Icing

Ingredients:

• 1 small can of Pet evaporated milk
• 1 stick of margarine
• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 small bag of semisweet chocolate morsels

Directions:

Pour milk , margarine, and sugar into pot.

Bring to a boil over medium high (don’t scorch the chocolate).

Then turn heat to low and cook for FOUR minutes (time it).

Take pot off burner and whisk chocolate into mixture.

STIR until slightly thickened.

Ice quickly!!!

Hardens fast…..delicious!

Note: if it gets too hard – make fudge

Mom's Lemon or Lime Pie

EASIEST LEMON/LIME PIE

Ingredients:

• 1-8oz can frozen lemonade or limeade concentrate
• 1-8 oz Container Cool Whip, softened
• 1-8 oz can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Few drops of lemon or green food coloring
• 1 8-9 Inch Graham Cracker Crust

Directions:

Stir together semi-thawed lemonade, condensed milk and cool whip (do not over mix). Place in graham cracker crust 8-9 inches.

Adjust coloring (if wanted).

Chill, best overnight.

Currently, 8oz cans no longer made, buy larger frozen cans and use 8oz. Can top with lemon or lime zest.

MOM

Homemade Energy Bars

Simply put, Chunks of Energy Bars are all-natural cubes of goodness, so we asked the folks who make them at Dancing Star to share their recipe. Adapt it by adding your favorite seeds, nuts, and dried fruits, and get ready for more energy.

Ingredients

• 1 c honey
• 1 c peanut butter
• 1 c carob powder
• 1 c sesame seeds
• 1 c sunflower seeds

Directions:

1. Heat honey until warm, then add peanut butter slowly, until just mixable.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients and press into oiled 8 by 8 inch pan.

3. Chill for 1 hour. Cut into 25 small squares. Keep in fridge for up to 1 month; freeze indefinitely.

To order a 4-pound sampler ($28 and up) or to find a store that sells Chunks of Energy near you, go to danstarco.com.