"Savoring the Moment" with the Ladies of the Fund Development Committee!

Spicy Cayenne Toasts with Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

A few weeks ago, in an effort to garner approval for our "Savor the Moment" 10th Anniversary Celebration, I enlisted the help of some delicious recipes from our James Beard Award-winning cookbook to sway the fabulous girls of the Fund Development Committee. Was it fair? Maybe not. Did it work? Absolutely!

Macadamia-Stuffed Mushrooms

For dinner I whipped up an assortment of savory selections from the book including the Spicy Cayenne Toasts with Sun-Dried Tomato Spread (pg. 64), Macadamia-Stuffed Mushrooms (pg. 71), and the Plantation Salad (pg. 125). 

I have to say, all the recipes turned out pretty darn good! If you like spicy, the Cayenne Toasts are definitely for you, with the spice nicely offset by the creamy goat cheese. The Macadamia-Stuffed Mushrooms were also delicious, however, they don't necessarily travel so well. Right out of the oven though they are truly delectable! I served the Mushrooms and the Cayenne Toasts on a bed of dry, black beans to keep them in place and also, because I thought it made a nice presentation! The Plantation Salad is a curious mixture of wild rice, mushrooms, vermouth, chicken breast, shrimp, black olives and lemon juice to name just a few ingredients. While it might sound odd, the end result is positively delicious! Also, the longer it sits the more flavorful it becomes - what's not to love about that?

White Trash!

For something sweet to finish the meal, I made the highly addictive White Trash (pg. 247) and Janel Williams, co-chair of the Cookbook Committee, also made some fabulous gift bags of Magical Toffee (pg. 265) with tags reading "Celebrate" to put everyone in a festive mood. These two snacks are both long-time "Savor the Moment" favorites! I wrote about the Magical Toffee last December but the White Trash I had never made until recently. It is a mouth-watering mixture of Crispix cereal, pretzels, salted peanuts, M & M's, pecans and raisins and if you are a fan of sweet and salty - lookout! I am happy to report the meal was well-received, the months of research and planning by the Chairs of the Cookbook Committee paid off, and our proposal was approved!

As you may have heard, our 10th Anniversary Celebration, "A Night to Remember," is set for Friday, November 12th at the Seagate Beach Club in Delray Beach, FL! It will be a wonderful evening of hors d'oeuvres, cocktails and desserts from "Savor the Moment," with live entertainment and an exciting Silent Auction featuring fabulous foodie items that are sure to tempt your palate!

To purchase your tickets to our event or to make a donation please click here and keep in mind, all money raised from the event goes to fund the Junior League's local community projects. Thank you in advance for your support and I hope to see you there. I have included the recipe for White Trash below and I hope you love it as much as most of the Junior League does!

Bon Appetit,



White Trash (pg. 247)
Mix 1/2 package Crispix cereal, 5 ounces pretzel twists, 1/2 can salted peanuts, 1/2 pound M&M's Chocolate Candies, 1/4 cup pecans and 1/4 cup raisins in a large bowl. Melt 1 pound white chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Add the cereal mixture and mix carefully. Spread on waxed paper and let stand until firm.
** I melted the white chocolate in the microwave which saved alot of time and cleanup!
** I spread the mixture on wax paper on a cookie sheet and then popped it into the fridge to help it firm up faster. After all, the sooner it sets the sooner you can eat it!

Share "Savor the Moment" with Friends this Holiday Season!

I don't know about you, but I love getting homemade, baked treats around the holidays from our friends and neighbors. That's probably because we are fortunate enough to know some pretty good cooks! We look forward to delicious sticky buns from the Langfords, tasty bread from the Plamanns, we even got a stollen from Bill & Peg Emes last year that was pretty darn good! I usually make Ina Garten’s Rosemary Cashews from her “Barefoot in Paris” cookbook (one of my favorites), package them in a glass jar and tie it with a decorative, holiday ribbon. This year, however, my lucky friends and neighbors are in for a different treat: they will be receiving the famed “Savor the Moment” Magical Toffee.

Now, you may have actually had this particular confection or something similar before. Upon sampling “The Toffee” I’ve heard many people comment, “Oh, I had that at so and so’s party, luncheon, etc.” It's a mouth-watering mixture of brown sugar, chocolate, nuts and saltines (the secret ingredient), that come together in a deliciously, decadent way. In addition, it only has 5 ingredients, takes about 10 minutes to make and is pretty much foolproof. A word of caution though, this recipe has the same addictive quality as crack OR the The Real Housewives of Atlanta depending on how you roll. Be sure you have a plan to move it out of your house in a timely fashion or you will find yourself eating the whole batch! It was always the most popular sample item we served at any Savor the Moment promotional event, people would come back for thirds. I once had a lady try to copy the recipe down right in front of me – without buying the book! Thankfully, that was an isolated incident and I have included the recipe below because it is just that good.

I usually make “The Toffee” and stick it in the freezer overnight to let it set up really well. I use light brown sugar, milk chocolate chips and chopped pecans but cashews would be really nice too. In addition to the Magical Toffee, there are a few other recipes from “Savor the Moment” that would be fabulous for holiday gift giving as well:
1. Spiced Boca Nuts (pg. 66) – the coconut, curry and cayenne will have you craving these.
2. Celestial Sugar Cookies with Royal Frosting (pg. 48) – yummy and you can omit the frosting & sprinkle with sugar crystals if you prefer.
3. Poppy Seed Bread (pg. 89 ) – pour the delicious, festive almond orange glaze over the freshly baked bread.

Present your favorite hostess, friend, relative or other lucky recipient with their very own copy of “Savor the Moment” along with a sample of any of the abovementioned treats and they are sure to have a very happy holiday. I hope you enjoy making these recipes and have a very happy & healthy holiday season as well. Cheers!

To purchase copies of "Savor the Moment" please visit www.jlbr.org.

Magical Toffee
Arrange 40 saltine crackers on a foil-lined 11x17-inch baking pan. Bring 1 cup butter or margarine and 1 cup packed brown sugar to a boil in a saucepan and boil for 3 minutes. Pour over the crackers. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes. Sprinkle with 12 ounces chocolate chips and let stand until softened. Spread over the top and sprinkle with 1/2 cup nuts. Place in the freezer to cool. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.