National Punch Day

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Chef Diane

I recently lost a friend of mine to Cancer.  We had gone to nursing school together; her service was actually held on Nurses Appreciation Day.  Following the funeral service, a reception was held.  She was from New Orleans, and a favorite drink used at holiday celebrations is Milk Punch.  She had praised this drink on many occasions; however, since I am not a milk drinker, I did not try it.  It is simply milk, brandy, sugar and vanilla, with a little nutmeg sprinkled on top.

When I think about punch, I think of the drink served at wedding celebrations or some type of receptions.  I was reminiscing about my past weddings with a friend of mine.  At my first wedding, the colors I  used were Maroon and Cream, however my future mother-in-law provided the punch, which was a sickly green color.  I was horrified when I saw the pictures from the reception, the green really stood out in contrast to the other colors.

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At my second wedding, my parents had been out of the country prior to the wedding, which was a rather small ceremony.  My mother who had not been present with the other arrangements offered to make the punch. I really wanted a certain kind, but instead, we were served apple juice mixed with ginger ale.  Needless to say it tasted as good as it sounds.

My favorite punch is called Crunchy punch.  The recipe is listed below, and its the best punch I have ever tasted.  The trick is to freeze the punch, then before it is served, let it thaw a bit and then pour sprite over it.  It makes a kind of slushy drink that will quickly disappear.

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Today is National Punch day, according to punchbowl.com, the word “punch” allegedly comes from the Hindustani word “panch,” which means “five.” In the early 1600s, sailors and employees of the British East India Company brought a new exotic drink from India to England. The beverage was made with five ingredients—spirits, lemon, sugar, water, and tea.

Punch spread from country to country and became one of the most popular party drinks. Today there are hundreds of punch recipes from which to choose. Many of them still incorporate the five key ingredients: base (alcohol), citrus, sugar, water, and spice.  

What is your favorite punch recipe?  Write back and let us know!

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CRUNCHY PUNCH

Ingredients:

• 2 packages jello (any flavor)
• 4 c. boiling water
• 4 c. sugar
• 2 packages Kool aid (same flavor as jello)
• 1 medium size bottle lemon juice
• 1 46 oz can pineapple juice (and any other fruit juice if desired)
• 2 bottles of sprite (or ginger ale, 7 up)

Directions:

Dissolve 2 packages of jello in 4 cups boiling water.(Do this in a large roasting pan)

Add 4 c sugar. Dissolve 2 packages Kool-aid in 2 quarts warm water (I just add this all to the pot at the same time) Add lemon juice and pineapple juice. Stir and let cool. Freeze. (If you don’t normally have jugs, you can buy the jugs of water, use the water to make the punch, and then fill the jugs with the punch to freeze.) When you are ready to use the punch, set out 3 to 4 hours before (depends on the weather, if it is summer, it thaws faster) you want it slushy. Cut the jug with a knife, and then pour in punch bowl. Add sprite to taste.

Makes 2 gallons or for 75 people

National Jell-O Week - Yum

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By Chef Diane,

Years and years ago, someone once told me that Jell-O was made from the stringy part of chicken, the part that is next to the bone.  Well after that it was a long time before I ate Jell-O again.  Jell-O is the brand name for gelatin desserts.  It originated in the Victorian period, where it was made in complicated gelatin molds, it was a difficult process, and so only the well to do were able to afford it.  In 1845 the patent was sold to Mr. Peter Cooper, who invented the powdered gelatin.  40 years later, the patent was sold to Mr. Wait, and he gave it the name Jell-O.  Not being able to make a go of the business, he sold the patent for $450.00.

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It was then advertised in the Ladies’ Home Journal and proclaimed to be America's Most Famous Dessert.  Business began to improve, and started being advertised by Jack Benny in 1934, and was seen on “I love Lucy” show and other outlets. In 1974 Bill Cosby became the spokesman, and once again in 2010.  Today there are around 300 million boxes made each year.

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Jell-O is one of the main foods of choice being served in hospitals for patients recovering from surgery, it is also an inexpensive food for school children, and is sometimes mixed with fruit.   I have since overcome my fear of Jell-O and make a congealed salad that my grandmother used to make.  I have a set of copper Jell-O molds like my mother had hanging around the walls of her kitchen.  There are many things you can make with Jell-O, one of my favorites is a crunchy punch, and you can change the color of the punch by putting the color of Jell-O you want.

This is National Jell-O Week.  The Joy of Jell-O site has some other fun activities you can do with Jell-O, they can be found below.

Ways to Celebrate Jell-O Week:

• Have a Jell-O Eating Contest
• Drink Jell-O Through a Straw
• Have a Jell-O Making Contest
• Have a Jell-O Wrestling Competition
• Make Jell-O Shots (if you are not Mormon) if you are, talk to your Bishop
• Buy a Jell-O Mold at a Near-by Thrift Shop
• Make Jell-O With Your New Jell-O Mold
• Buy a Jell-O Recipe Book
• Try out a New Recipe
• Try a New Flavor- or Better Yet- Create Your Own Flavor. Mix Kinds and Give a Nifty Prize to the Person that Can Guess the Flavors.
• Write a Letter to a Utah Congressman/Woman Telling About Your Jell-O Joys.
• Take Jell-O to a Neighbor.
• Take Jell-O to Work
• Congeal Your Co-Workers Stapler or Other Item in Jell-o. See Jell-ostapler.com for details.
• Congeal Your Husband’s Car Keys in Jell-O
• If you have had it with Your Teenager texting, 
• Congeal His/hers Cell Phone in Jell-O
• Play a Jell-O Joy Joke
• Have a Jell-O Buffet
• Utah's Delicate Arch
• Fill Your Bathtub with Jell-O
• Make Jell-O Jigglers
• Try to Make a Delicate Arch Out of Jell-O
• Make a Jell-O Valentine

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Granny’s Orange Salad:

Disolve 1 package of orange Jell-Oin 1 cup Hot water.  Cool. 

Add 7 cups of miniature marshmallows,

1 small can crushed pineapples

1 cup cottage cheese and

1 small container of cool whip. 

Pour in casserole dish and place in the refrigerator until set.

By Diane Forrest,

Wouldn't an ice cold Cherry Popsicle really hit the spot on this hot August day?  Well you're in luck!  Today is National Cherry Popsicle Day.  Frank Epson is the father of these frozen treats. In 1905, at age 11, he left a glass of his homemade combination of fruity soda powder and water in his backyard overnight. He forgot to remove the stir stick -- or so goes the legend. It was a record cold night in San Francisco, so when he came out the next morning, he discovered it was frozen. More importantly, he pulled it from the glass and started licking!

In 1923 Frank introduced his frozen treats at Neptune Beach in California.  It was originally available in seven flavors and marketed as a "frozen drink on a stick." The form is unique, with two parts joined together on two sticks, so the two sections could be divided and shared.  In 1924 Frank patented his "frozen ice on a stick" and called it an "Epsicle ice pop." His kids decided the name was too long and just called them "Pop's sicles".  He sold the rights in 1925, and it was bought in 1989 by the Good Humor Company.

When I was young my mom used to make kool aid, pour them in a metal ice tray, the kind that has the lever in the center.  She would cover the top with plastic wrap and stick tooth picks in it.  A yummy treat for those hot summer days.   These days they have some nice popsicle molds that you can fill and freeze.  Here is a fast easy recipe if you want to make your own, however if you don't have time today, you can always pick some up in your grocer's freezer. 

Enjoy an ice old Cherry Popsicle today and celebrate the day!

Easy Cherry Popsicle Recipe

• 1 packaged cherry flavored Jell-0
• 2/3 cup hot water
• 2 cups cold water
• 1 cup sugar

In a large pitcher mix the Jell-o, hot water and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add cold water and pour into molds and freeze