Hi,

I plan to bring Sugar pie, which took 2nd place at the Illinois State Fair, 2014, Family Heirloom Recipe Contest.

Regards,

Hi Everyone! I'm getting so excited to be seeing you soon. Please remember there is no limit to the number of people who can attend. I've got lots of chairs, and everyone who comes will be warmly welcomed.

Just to let you know, the raspberries are slowly declining. It is going to take you longer to pick the amount you want than it would have taken a couple weeks ago. So plan your time. These church dinners don't wait for anyone! I'd really like us all to be at the church by 4:45 so we can eat together. Remember, the church dinner and raspberry picking are options that you do not have to partake in. We will start the dessert exchange around 6:15.

I've checked out my garden and I will have tomatoes and basil for you (if you want it). I also have tons of bittersweet, which is a fall (orange) decorative berry. You can take out my clippers and harvest as much as you want. Canning jars, canning salt and magazines will also be available for the taking!

As you know my berry farm is up for sale. If anyone would like a tour I would happy to do that before we go to the church for dinner. That way you can tell your friends from first hand experience what an awesome investment and home this would be!

I hope if anyone is sitting on the fence about coming that you chose to join us. It will be FUN!

What time should we plan on getting there if we do want to pick some berries?

E

irisarbor wrote:What time should we plan on getting there if we do want to pick some berries?

E

I think that depends on how much you want to pick. I'm thinking between 3 and 3:30 p.m. since we'll need to leave for the church dinner around 4:45 p.m.

As far as my dessert contribution, I'm thinking of doing something with figs.

I'll probably make some kind of cookies or brownies-
it needs to be easy for me since we're still recovering from a refrigerator disaster
E

I had a great time at razbry's dessert exchange last year ( if my memory is correct). The church dinner is a lovely chance to fellowship that you just don't get frequently anymore.

Of course the desserts were awesome.

Ingrid I made fig torte for that dessert exchange. Where did you find figs?

Don't forget to take a lot of pictures. Truly sorry I am missing this one!

pairs4life wrote:I had a great time at razbry's dessert exchange last year ( if my memory is correct). The church dinner is a lovely chance to fellowship that you just don't get frequently anymore.

Of course the desserts were awesome.

Ingrid I made fig torte for that dessert exchange. Where did you find figs?

Don't forget to take a lot of pictures. Truly sorry I am missing this one!

I have dried figs, but when I buy fresh I get them at Pete's.

I generally find fresh figs at fresh farms -either Niles or Wheeling

I'll be there for dinner only

Tell the church folk the Chicago people are coming!!!!

toria wrote:Tell the church folk the Chicago people are coming!!!!

Yet if you want a seat, you need to be there early!

The church people have been informed, but they don't let you save seats if there are people waiting to get in. Jeffs welcome. You can always come to the dessert exchange just to gab.

Two more for raspberry picking, dinner and dessert. Ellyn and Gary P will be attending. Ellyn made macarons, strawberry jam bars and honey oat "everything" cookies.

Gary P wrote:Two more for raspberry picking, dinner and dessert. Ellyn and Gary P will be attending. Ellyn made macarons, strawberry jam bars and honey oat "everything" cookies.

That's terrific!

awesome!

Razbry, my friend Ruth and I very much enjoyed our outing to your farm. We braved the cold and picked Raspberries. Your recommendation that we have supper at the Methodist Church was a good one. I am still amazed at how welcoming everyone was at the church, and really enjoyed the family style meal. Gotta love a meal that starts with pie!

By the time we convened at your home, I was really too full to eat any more dessert. But I managed a comfort food trio anyway: Razbry's banana pudding, a coconut marshmallow made by Pie Lady and Iris Arbor's quadruple chocolate and nut cake. Wow, so good.

Thanks so much for your hospitality, for the canning jars and for the tomatoes and basil. It was a treat to watch the sunset from your living room. Whoever is lucky enough to buy your farm should be very pleased.

Best wishes, mrsm

Thanks so much for having us! What a great spread. Mr. Pie loved the pud'n. I'll post the recipes shortly.

My comment on the way out came out all stupid-like, but what I was trying to say was I hope to see you again soon, so if you're in town perhaps we can get together for chow. We can get a posse together.

Chocolate-Raspberry Beer Brownies
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
10 tbsp unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups sugar (I used 1-1/4 because after measuring out for the marshmallons that's all I had left)
1/2 cup Belgian white ale, at room temperature (I'm pretty sure this was not at room temperature. Also, I used Blue Moon because that's what was in the house)
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam, stirred until smooth (I used Cracovia, which might be the bestest raspberry jam out there)

Heat oven to 350. Grease 9-inch pan.
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool 5 minutes. Whisk sugar, ale, eggs and vanilla in medium bowl. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in another medium bowl. Combine ale and chocolate mixtures and blend well. Fold in flour mixture just until moistened. Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Drizzle with raspberry jam (I cut mine in because this is a very thick jam). Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
from Publications International

Apparently I made these exact marshmallows for another exchange. And I unknowingly followed my own exact directions. My brain is turning to shit.
viewtopic.php?f=19&t=34889&p=418285&hilit=marshmallows#p418285

Thanks Pie Lady for the marshmallow recipe. They were great.

I started with the Hoosier Mama recipe for my Chocolate Chess Pie filling. I made these changes:

1. Given the size of our group, I made a 10" pie rather than a 9" pie. I used 5 eggs (instead of 4) to increase the amount of filling.
2. Used unsweetened Baker's chocolate (rather than 70% bittersweet chocolate), so that the pie would be less sweet.
3. Substituted semolina flour for corn meal.

Wow, the desserts were great, but the group's fellowship was even better! Thanks everyone for traveling so far out. If you have never experienced "rural" before, you have now! I'm mad at myself because I had a refrigerator full of water, ice tea, apple cider and ginger-ale...and I forgot about it! I hope no one was dying of thirst.

Here is the Banana Pudding Recipe:

Ingredients:
* 1 12oz cool whip
* 1 14oz sweetened condensed milk
* 1 8oz pkg cream cheese (softened)
* 2 C whole milk
* 5 oz of Banana Cream pudding (about 1 & 1/2 boxes)
* 2 - 3 thinly sliced bananas
* 2 bags of Chessman cookies

Prep:
Line the bottom of a 13x9x2 pan with one bag of cookies. Layer bananas on top. Combine pudding mix and milk in a bowl and set aside. Using a mixer, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth. Gently fold in the cool whip. then stir in the pudding mixture. Pour out into the cookie lined pan. Arrange the second bag of cookies on top, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

I enjoyed renewing old friendships and meeting new people (new to me at least). I hope to see you all again someday. It was my privilege to host this event!

Thanks to Razbry for another delightful dessert exchange. I opted not to pick due to the blustery conditions, but the day was full enough already. I have shared the details of dinner with my friends and they were in awe about the amount of food and the array of pies available. I love the fact that when asked why all of us would come so far for a church dinner, mrsm responded, "For the pie. Can't get good pie in Chicago."

What can I say about the desserts. This was one for the record books. There wasn't anything I didn't like. Every flavor from chocolate to lemon, various fruits, and just plain sugar.

razbry wrote: I'm mad at myself because I had a refrigerator full of water, ice tea, apple cider and ginger-ale...and I forgot about it! I hope no one was dying of thirst.

Don't worry about it. I'm sure that someone would have spoken up if they were.

The recipe for the Fig Cake can be found here.

Check out the photos here!

http://imgur.com/a/0EqW3

Just looked at the pictures and everything looked fabulous. Sorry I couldn't make it.

suef wrote:Just looked at the pictures and everything looked fabulous. Sorry I couldn't make it.

^^^^^^^ Yep.