I have a recipe for lemon loaves that is almost embarrassing to post but it is soooooo good! I got it from my husbands cousin who is considerably older and has been making it forever.

I was shocked when she gave me the recipe, I would never have guessed it wasn't scratch.

Betty's Lemon Loaf

1 Pkg lemon cake mix
1 Pkg lemon instant pudding
1/4 Cup Crisco oil (or Canola oil)
4 eggs
grated peel of one lemon
Juice from the lemon plus enough waterto make 1 cup

In a large bowl combine the mixes. Add oil, eggs, peel and juice.

Pour into loaf pans and bake at 350 for 50-60 mins. Cool on wire racks. Freezes well.

Note: Can top with a lemon / icing sugar glaze

I think it sounds great!
My very few suggestions: lemon bars instead of loaves since you already have zucchini bread and Hoodies pecans are amazing on salads and cost the same as pecans. I don't buy them often because I end up eating them.
Also, the only thing you don't have that I think would be good is some poppers.

Your menu sounds really good. I especially like the pork tenderloin idea. And I plan to steal your Mexican Chicken on Sticks idea myself. Even though you have a starch, it seems to me the menu is begging for some potato salad. Either that or I'm hot and just hungry for potato salad.

Thanks for the Lemon Loaf recipe Sharon. Quick, easy and good is always in vogue.

Beverly

Your menu sounds wonderful, something for everybody.

I have made a Lemon Blueberry Bread that is delish. Just made some last week, one day before my oven decided to quit.

Lemon Blueberry Bread

Topping
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Batter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 9x5 loaf pan. Stir topping ingredients together til smooth, set aside. Stir sugar, milk, butter and egg together until smooth. Toss flour with bp and salt. Stir into wet ingredients then fold in berries and 1T lemon zest. Transfer to pan, sprinkle with topping. Bake 50 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely .................................

Nancy

That menu sounds marvelous!

Here is my favorite lemon bread recipe:

Lemon Bread

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening or butter
1 TB grated lemon rind
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Glaze:

1/4 cup sugar
juice of 1 lemon

In a bowl, cream the sugar and shortening or butter. Add in the lemon peel. Beat in the eggs. Stir flour, salt and baking powder together. Add dry ingredients alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry. Stir in nuts.

Pour into a greased, regular loaf pan and bake at 325F for 35-45 minutes or more until a toothpick stuck in the center tests clean.

In a small saucepan, heat the 1/4 cup sugar and the lemon juice until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the hot bread. Allow to cool in pan.

Source, McCall's magazine

Lemon recipes! Thank you. Easy is good at the moment... I like the idea of the lemon bars too! And the lemon/blueberry bread... yum! All great choices. I'll pick one of them for sure.

Bumblebeez, good idea on the hoodies pecans. Anything that can save me a step or two and not cost more is a good thing!

And poppers... Any recommendations for pre-made ones? Costco? I'm not big on getting alot of things pre-made, but a few well-chosen additions to make life easier, I'm all for it.

Beverlyal, I had potato salad on the list, then crossed it off because the one I used last year, I had so much left over. (Maybe I just didn't make a very good potato salad!)The more unusual dishes always go first. But you're right, I think a 2nd starch could be good. I was contemplating making plantains... What do you think?

Hmmm, 100 people and only two protein choices, one of which sounds rather spicy, concerns me a little bit. Are there going to be children there, too? A couple child-friendly dishes might be considered. Even spaghetti or mac and cheese. I know my kids would have put their noses up on most of these choices when they were young and unsophisticated: fruit chunks with wine, corn & black bean salad with cilantro and hot spices; chili powder, cayenne and cilantro on the chicken, etc. (Who's the spice lover here? lol). Just a thought.

arline

Arline,

Thanks for the reminder. I'll have a pan of mac & cheese ready for the picky eaters. And the watermelon slices and strawberries are for those not wanting the fruit in wine syrup (I clearly mark the bowl so no one is surprised). The pork is actually very subtly smokey and not spicy at all.

I can put some skewers of chicken aside without the marinade for the non-spicy eaters. Good suggestion to think through the spice level as a whole.

The mix will be about 85% adults/older teens and 15% kids under 10. And the kids either fall into the category of "they eat everything, including spicy food" or "they're so particular that their parents bring special foods (i.e., wheat allergies, etc.)."

It's funny how we all have our comfort level with food spicing. I'd never serve this menu to my family in Michigan as they'd think it was too unusual, too much spice. But with our extended family and friends in California, this seems on the mild side, flavorful but definitely not eye-watering hot.

Your menu looks wonderful! I also make a fantastic lemon cake from the Cake Doctor cookbook which uses a lemon Duncan Hines mix, a box of lemon jello and a few other ingredients. I make it in a bundt pan, and I swear it takes like a made from scratch cake. People love it and ask for the recipe. I used to be a snob about cake mixes, but no more. I you want the recipe, I'll look it up. Just let me know. It's delicious with strawberries & whipped cream, or just plain w/ powdered sugar.

Here is the best potato salad, ever. Nancy (wizardnm) posted it a couple years ago. I can almost bet there will be no leftovers!

Blue Cheese Potato Salad

3# cooked red potatoes, cooled and chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup mayo (Hellmann's)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
3 green onions, chopped fine
1 cup coarsely chopped celery

In a large bowl combine potatoes, wine, salt and pepper. Let sit until the wine is absorbed by the potatoes, about 30 minutes.
Combine may with remaining ingredients. Add to potatoes and stir well. Allow about 30 minutes for flavors to combine before serving.

Poppers Recipe - originally posted by trudymom
This is a delicious appetizer. It can be made ahead of time. I have prepared & baked, cooled & frozen in ziplocks & reheated in low oven to serve.
They make a nice presentation, stacked on a round platter.

Posted by trudymom (My Page) onSun, Dec 2, 07
Crescent Jalapeno Poppers
Recipe #227403 : 40 min : 25 min prep :
Recipe Zaar
By: Lainey6605
May 10, 2007

These are tasty little appetizers. Serve them with sour cream or guacamole, if desired.

SERVES 16 (change servings and units)

* 4 jalapeno chiles (about 3 inches long)
* 1/3 cup boursin spreadable cheese with garlic and herbs (from 5.2 ounce container)
* 8 slices packaged pre-cooked shortcut bacon (from 2.2 ounce package, halved)
* 1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated crescent dinner roll
* 1/2 cup pineapple salsa (optional) or fruit salsa (optional)

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Carefully remove stems from chiles; cut each in half lengthwise and again horizontally to make 4 pieces.
Remove and discard seeds.
Spoon about 1 teaspoon cheese into each chile quarter.
Wrap half slice of bacon around each.
On cutting board, unroll dough; separate dough into 8 triangles.
From center of longest side to opposite point, cut each triangle in half, making 16 triangles.
Place chile, cheese side down, on dough triangle.
Fold 1 point of triangle over filling; fold 2 remaining points over first point.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Immediately remove from cookie sheet.
Serve with salsa, if desired.

Great Menu!
I also want to copy the chicken idea for a big bash we're having in September. I am a bit concerned about the marniade. I'd always thought that it couln't be used as a sauce because of the raw chicken contamination. Shouln't it be boiled first?

Marigene,
Thanks for the potato salad recipe... it does sound yummy. A friend is going to make it for me.
And in lieu of the poppers, my neigbor offered to make empanadas! But thanks for the recipe... I've filed it for another day.

Gardengurl,
You're right, the marinade is only for prepping the raw chicken and to baste it while on the grill. I'll have other types of salsas for the table. I'll let you know how it works for the crowd.
Garden

Hi spacific: one more little thought, based on your remark above. I always *thought* that any leftover juices/marinade from chicken OR beef that was used when the protein was raw should be dumped as soon as the meat is removed. And then when any basting is necessary, use a fresh batch that's not been in contact with the raw (since you supposedly don't start applying the sauce till food is almost cooked). I think I remember it's bec. you have to "assume" that there's bacteria in the raw, leftover juices and you don't want to keep reapplying it to the cooking meat. Everything is such a concern now just wanted to give you a head's up. I don't think restaurants are ever allowed to apply the leftover juices to cooking meat/poultry. Having been a "victim" once of food poisoning from a party, I've always been extremely cautious as the hostess was extremely embarrassed for many of her guests. So now, I'm always overly cautious. Your party will be great since you are prepared!

Arlinek...
I think I've heard that before as well. I made the marinade Thursday, I got the chicken yesterday morning.
And the minute I got home, put it in bags of 20 pcs with marinade and put it in it's own cooler on ice. (I didn't want any chicken juices dripping anywhere in the fridge.) Everything's still nicely iced. and there's extra marinade available for grilling, so no need to use the stuff the chicken was sitting in.

And it's unusually hot here today, so I'm especially glad that we decided not to have anything of the sides mayo-based or meat-based to be sitting out for hours. Our friend that's grilling is going to do shifts. Maybe 4 times through the afternoon/evening, so the meat won't be sitting out long...

I think the only thing to worry about this morning, is remembering where all the food is that I put at the neighbor's houses... Veggie chili's in one place, marinating fruit another, desserts somewhere else!