A Tasting Tour

The Thalias is a women's club in the little town 20 miles East -- on the prairie of Missouri rather than the prairie of Kansas.

A long standing Spring tradition of the Thalias is their Tasting Tour, held in even years. It is always a delightful Sunday afternoon as tour goers get to visit three homes and sample food at each.

There is always an overall theme and this year's was Spring Fling and then each home has their own theme as well.

Not only do you get to taste the food but you get to go home with the recipes as well. Many of Linderhof''s favorite and long standing recipes have come from this tour.

The first house was an amazing Victorian -- a landmark Victorian in the town. The theme was

Easter Breakfast.

The sideboard set up as for an Easter breakfast.
Each dish is labeled with a cutout Easter egg attached to an egg cup with a real egg.

Menu

Fruit Kabobs with Amaretto Dip

Tomato Bacon Cups

Artichoke Crescent Appetizers

Kielbasa Bites

Spinach Cheese Quiche

Apricot Lemon Coffeecake

My favorite -- the Tomato Bacon Cups!!!

Tomato Bacon Cups

1 small tomato, finely chopped

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 c. real bacon bits

1 t. dried basil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, separated into 10 biscuits

In a small bowl, combine the tomato, mayonnaise, bacon, cheese, onion and basil. Set aside.

Split each biscuit into three layers; press each layer into an ungreased miniature mufin cup. Spoon tomato mixture into cups. Bake at 450 for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

At the second house, it was a Spring Fling!

The dining room table with mock champagne and plenty of "bling"!
Bling even on the placecards!!!!

Menu

Mock Champagne

Bacon-Apricot Chicken Bites

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon chips

Caprese Salad Bites

Pina Colada Cheesecake Bites

Shrimp Stuffed Celery

And my favorite -- the pina colada cheesecakes!

Pina Colada Cheesecakes

Crust:

6 T. unsalted butter, melted

1 T. sugar

2 c. coconut cookie crumbs

Filling:

3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. sugar

1 c. cream of coconut

1/3 c. light rum

5 large eggs

1 c. sour cream

4 t. coconut extract

Glaze:

1 T. cornstarch

1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple

1/4 c. sugar

1 T. water

2 T. lemon juice

Stir together crust ingredients and press into bottoms of lightly greased mini muffin tins. Beat cream cheese and 1/2 c. sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer for 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add next 4 ingredients and eat until blended. Fill mini muffin tins. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes or until center is almost set. Spread glaze over top of cheesecakes. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

To make glaze: Stir together cornstarch and 1 T water until smooth. Combine cornstarch mixture, crushed pineapple, 1/4 c. sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; let cool completely. Makes 96 cheesecakes.

And since it was a Spring Fling and since it was May -- what better theme for the third house than Cinco De Mayo!

A colorful table -- with chili peppers for the placecards.
The hit of the day was "Pedro" holding an early Thalias cookbook which, that year, also featured a Mexican theme at one of the Tour houses.

Menu

Enchiladas De Albondigas

Tacos Al Pastor

Smoky Two-Chili Salsa

Salsa De Fresa

Salsa Mixta

Cinco De Mayo Flan

Margaritas Virgen

And my favorite -- Enchiladas De Albondigas

Enchiladas De Albondigas

1 cups crumbled cornbread

1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

2 T. taco seasoning

1/2 t. salt

1 small onion, diced fine

1 C. Mexican cheese blend, shredded

For the cornbread:

Use a box of the Jiffy ready mix cornbread (8.5 oz) and add 2 T. of taco seasoning to the other dry ingredients. Mix and bake according to package directions. Allow to cool and then crumble.

In a large bowl, combine the crumbled cornbread, half of the enchilada sauce, half of the cheese, the diced onion, and the salt. Crumble the beef into the mixture and blend well, using your hands. Shape meat mixture into 1 inch balls and place on a 10 x 15 jellyroll pan, or any cookie sheet with sides to catch the grease.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 18 to 22 minutes or until meat is cooked through and no longer pink. In a small saucepan, heat tomato sauce and remaining enchilada sauce. Remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and place in a serving dish or crockpot. Top with sauce mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Provide toothpicks for serving.

It's Tuesday -- and I have not one but three tabletops this Tuesday. Please join Marty at A Stroll Thru Life and see what else is on tables this Tuesday. And since I do have three tabletops, I'm also joining Tam at A Gypsy's Corner. See what other threesies there are this Tuesday.

THE GIVE-AWAY!!!!

And since I'm celebrating my second anniversary of Lines from Linderhof, my 600+ post, and my 200+ follower, I'm holding a giveaway -- a favorite book, my herb bible, Betty Crocker Kitchen Gardens, by Mary Mason Campbell with illustrations by Tasha Tudor.

If you've entered on Sunday or Monday, you can enter again! Once for a comment on this post and once again if you're a follower.

My blog journey has been filled with friends and I'm looking forward to sharing more of Linderhof with you.