Veggie Tails and Flowers for Fancy Veggie Basket

My Mother began making fancy cut veggie baskets for special occasions after I left home, so I didn't have the chance to watch or help her much. Now that she's passed to the other side of the veil I had to recall, search for photos of her vegetable basket and online to "see" how to make various veggie tails and flowers.  In addition I asked myself questions.  I began to get some inspiration of my own--possibly from her whispering suggestions in my ear.  I felt her nearby as I thought of her, which made for a priceless time.   

What follows is how I make radish roses, green onion tails and stems, carrot crinkles and flowers, jagged cucumber circles, celery tails and turnip flowers. 

Delivering Harvest Treats to Harvest Workers

Twice this week we made  my Mother's Finnish recipe for  Old World Fresh Apple Butter Cake. Click on the title above and you'll find the recipe from a post I made last year.  

This year one of our sons helped his Dad make this as a bundt cake for my birthday.  We visited the place I first had my birthday cake during harvest time and ate my birthday cake there.  

Notice the white icing on it?  

Well, when I was 3 my Mother made me a beautiful white cake with white frosting and took it out to the field to share

 with the workers.  

When my Dad brought the combine to a stop, 

the white cake was suddenly a "chocolate" (dusty) cake!!  After that, my birthday cakes became bundt cakes.  This one is a favorite of mine.  I had to laugh when he put a white glaze on it because we were in the spud field after all.   Thankfully, this year, it had already been harvested there and we avoided the "chocolate".  

 

Then then we went to the spud cellars and delivered mini bundt cakes they'd made to the Harvest workers.  

Then I made them for the Young Women's activity where we deliver a treat one day of harvest to the other Young Women who are working in the Potato Harvest.  

I just love the memories, smell, sight, sound and touch of "Spud Harvest"!  

Ice Cream, Ice Cream, We All Sing for Ice Cream

My neighbor made this dessert last night for our YW's activity -- "singing at the botanical gardens" and shared the recipe with us.  The girls had specifically requested it from her.  

I believe it's the same dessert she brought us when we moved into the neighborhood.  It's yummy, so give it a try, because she also said, "It takes about 5 minutes to make!"

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

10 ice cream sandwiches
1 jar chocolate fudge sauce
caramel syrup
1 (20 0z.) Cool Whip (real whipping cream gets watery)
1 Heath or Skor bar, crushed

Layer ice cream sandwiches in the bottom of a 9X13 inch pan (you might have to cut one to make it fit.) Pour entire jar of fudge sauce over sandwiches and spread evenly. Drizzle thin layer of caramel syrup over the chocolate. Spread Cool Whip. Sprinkle candy bar over top (the candy bar is easier to crush if frozen first). Freeze.