Women's Conference Dinner & Recipes

Pat Wilkins was the chairman of the food committee.  These women who cheerfully served (for hours) in the kitchen gave us a feast for the eyes!  (You'll find the recipes at the bottom of this post)

Strawberry Salad with Pecans & Feta Cheese  

Dressing: 

6 Tbs white wine vinegar

4 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbs sugar

Kosher salt and pepper

Salad:  

2 quarts strawberries, hulled and halved

12 cups spring mix salad greens  (This is equivalent to the large spring mix in the plastic container at Costco) 

1 C. pecans, toasted and chopped  (*recipe for pecans follows)

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 Tbs chopped fresh dill  (or 1 tsp dried)

Whisk together vinegar, oil, & sugar.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Toss strawberries, greens, pecans, feta and dill with dressing.  Toss all salad ingredients, then add the dressing at the last minute before serving.

Toasted Sugared Pecans

1 lb pecans

2 egg whites

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

Whisk together egg whites and salt until frothy.  Coat pecans with egg white mixture, then coat with the sugar.  Spread thinly on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Bake at 250° for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Chop if desired before adding to salad.

Mustard Potatoes AuGratin 

Ingredients:

32 oz bag *southern style frozen hash browns (don’t use shredded)  
onion salt - a generous amount (don’t be timid)

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup dijon mustard

1 pint whipping cream (do not whip)

1 pint half & half cream

3 cups grated cheddar cheese (or cheddar jack)

2 to 3 fresh green onions - thinly sliced with some of the tender green tops

Directions:

In a deep 9" x 13" pan - layer half of the potatoes, salt/pepper/onion salt, sliced green onion, and cheese.  Repeat layers.  Now combine the half & half with the whipping cream, blending in the dijon mustard till smooth.  Pour over the top - it should cover the potatoes entirely.  Do not cover during baking.  Bake at 325 degrees for about two hours.  It will not look milky any longer - it will resemble cottage cheese in texture.   *Do not stir! They will have a browned “crust” on top, (and you may think you’ve ruined them) - but they are delicious. 

Death by Chocolate Dessert  

Ingredients:

1 box Devils Food Cake Mix

1 small box of Chocolate Fudge Instant Pudding mix

1 C. dairy sour cream (not low calorie or fat-free)

1 C. milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Mix cake mix as directed on box, then (at this point) add pudding and sour cream; mix well.  Gently stir in chocolate chips.

Spray 9” bundt pan GENEROUSLY with non-stick cooking spray.   Pour mixed cake into pan.  Bake 50 minutes.  Cool 5 minutes and then remove cake onto a cooling rack.  

Serve slices of cooled cake drizzled with hot fudge, caramel, and a dollop of whipped cream.



Food Committee:

Chairman: Pat Wilkins   Committee members: Kathy DeMille, Wendy Lambert, Darolyn Bankhead, Tiffiny Burton, Joanna Wood, Julie Evans, Sheril Bowers, Jeanette Meisenbacher, Beth Spitzer, Tiffany Rawlings.  Additional sisters who offered their assistance:  Helen Montano, Ligia Galhardo, Susan Burton